Devils Bleed Black
by DiscordianSamba
Summary: When high school detective Hattori Heiji shows up at his office one day, a case in hand, private detective and exorcist Kudo Shinichi isn't sure what to make of him at first- nor of the case he brings with him. The Wish Fulfillment Foundation, an association of devils working to an unknown end, both catches his interest and worries him greatly. What is it's one truth?
1. Two Sides of the Same Coin

AN: It's a new story! Again, yes, fight me.

Anyways, this story features some vague ideas I've been tinkering with off and on for awhile now- the idea of incorporating a strong fantasy bent while also keeping the overall mystery and detective aspect of Detective Conan- because what is the series without that? Eventually I settled on something of an urban fantasy scenario, with devils and exorcists, and magic abound. I'm not quite sure how I came to the idea of Shinichi and Ran being adults, whereas Heiji and Kazuha remained as teenagers, but I think it'll create a dynamic that's really interesting to work with, so I'm looking forward to writing that!

Also I tossed some sketches related to the story (pretty much entirely of Heiji) up onto my art tumblr- the username of which is **cureange** , so you can find them there if you're curious! Anyways, I hope you enjoy, and it would mean the world to me if you took a bit of time to comment!

* * *

 **Devils Bleed Black**

 **Chapter One**

 **Two Sides of the Same Coin**

* * *

"This isn't what I was promised."

With the truth delivered, and the case closed, Kudo Shinichi couldn't help but dwell on the final, half-whispered words of the man who had been lead away into the patrol car, a bitter expression on his face. It wasn't the first time that a culprit of one of the cases he'd solved had been more than a little disgruntled at having been caught- in fact, he'd more than gotten used to such things in all the years that he had been working as a detective. Rather, it was the words themselves that bothered him.

This isn't what I was promised.

There had been no evidence, of course, of anyone else being involved in the murder. The man was being blackmailed, and in order to escape it, he had decided to take the life of the one who was blackmailing him, disguising it to look like an accident. It almost had the police fooled- until Inspector Megure decided to call in private detective and police consultant, Kudo Shinichi, that was. No sooner than he had arrived, did he find several things about the scene that were out of place, all of them hinting towards the fact that this was no accident- but a murder.

The case was closed, the culprit was arrested, the body had been taken away. But something, he thought, was still amiss here. Casting his eyes towards the full moon that almost seemed to spread out through the night sky, he narrowed them in thought, feeling a tug on the edge of his senses, a whisper that this case would soon become the hint of something much larger, much grander than this.

It had been awhile since he'd dealt with such a case. Five years, in fact. Not since the fall of the shadowy Black Organization had he dealt with anything on such a massive scale- sure, there had been the drug ring he'd helped the police bring down a year back, but even that had still been rather small compared to the feat he'd accomplished at just seventeen years of age. And yet, it wasn't that case that made him famous as a high school detective, though he already had a good deal of fame even before that. In fact, he'd actually requested his name to be stricken from the records of the investigation entirely, knowing that he would put his loved ones at risk if the truth was revealed.

It was, after all, a case that had just as much to do with his surface work- that of a detective, as it did with the work that he did in secret. If he'd gotten his detective skills from his father, a famous mystery novelist, then it was the latter set of skills that he had been taught by his mother, ever since he was a young age. Declaring his intent to help protect the girl who was quickly becoming his close friend, Mouri Ran, he'd implored his mother to start teaching him her trade- the trade that she continued in secret, even after she had seemingly retired from her surface job not long after marrying his father.

The work of an exorcist.

It was the kind of work one had to keep secret, save to those you trusted. After all, if one's identity spread, one would risk facing the retribution of those that they hunted- the devils that lived in the shadows of human society, tempting and manipulating humans, casting their hearts into darkness and leading them down wicked paths. As both detective and exorcist, he knew full well that a devil's whispers were not impossible to resist, and any fool who tried to claim that it was only the weak who ever gave into the temptation of what they promised clearly had no idea what it was that they were talking about. Those who went down the wrong path, following a devil's lead, he thought, were still very much responsible for their actions, just as much as those who killed without the lure of a devil's prompting were.

 _Especially_ if that path of dark temptation lead them to claiming another life. That was unforgivable.

It wasn't as if the existence of devils in itself was any big secret. The whole world knew of them, and the fact that he'd brought down a massive Organization of them five years prior barely had anything to do with it- although it certainly did shake things up a bit. Never before had there been such a thing- for all that they were by and large wicked creatures, devils generally worked independently, and when they formed groups they were usually small, held together by blood ties. Something of the likes of what he'd ended up uncovering- a massive Organization of devils who had blended themselves into human society, was something that had been unheard of at the time.

It had taken everything he had in him- both his skills as a detective, and his skills as an exorcist, for Shinichi to bring them down- and he wouldn't have been able to, were it not for the fact that he'd found allies in the way. Most notably, he thought, in the FBI- they had been key to helping to bring down the Black Organization, and he'd kept in touch with those allies he'd gained then even now, never knowing when he might need their help again.

The whole affair had been made needlessly all the more complicated by the fact that he'd found himself having been reverted into a seven year old. Thankfully, in the end, he'd been able to return to his normal age, and he could never be more grateful for it- after all, had he not been able to return to being Kudo Shinichi, had he been left as Edogawa Conan for the rest of his days, he might have never been able to marry the love of his life.

"Ah, Shinichi! Welcome home!"

To be quite honest, he'd been so lost in thought, he hadn't even realized that he'd made it home already. Blinking a little at the bright greeting of his wife, his childhood friend who now carried his own surname- _Kudo_ Ran, he thought, a small smile twitching at the edge of his lips. Perhaps spending time as Edogawa Conan hadn't been all that bad, he thought, since it had allowed him to not only realize that she had feelings for him- but for him to realize that _he_ had feelings for her as well.

"I'm back, Ran. What's for dinner tonight? It smells good, whatever it is!" Giving a testing whiff of the air, Shinichi could almost hear his stomach growl in response.

"Tonight's stew." Ran told him. "It'll be ready in a few minutes, so why don't you wash up?" She asked, carefully making her way over towards her husband, pulling off his jacket and hanging it up on the coat rack, before she gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "How was today's case?"

"Fine." Shinichi told her with a quick grin- no need to tell her that the man's last words were still bothering him, he thought. It might very well be nothing, but his detective's intuition was telling him that there was still something more there, waiting to be uncovered. And if his intuition as an exorcist was likewise on the mark, it was going to be something that would involved both lines of work. "The culprit was arrested."

"I see. That's good." Nodding her head, Ran headed back towards the kitchen- before pausing midstep, turning back to look at him. "Ah, that's right. There was another lottery in the shopping district today! And guess who won the grand prize?" She asked, a bright smile on her face, one that made him love her all the more.

"You?" Shinichi asked, giving her a kiss of his very own. "What's the prize this time?"

"An all expense paid trip to a hot springs inn." Ran told him. "I was actually considering going with Sonoko. It's been awhile since we've had a girl's weekend, just the two of us."

"Now that you mention it..." Shinichi trailed off. How long had it been since Ran and Sonoko had gone off on one of their trips together? Not since they'd gotten married five months ago, he thought to himself. Granted, he kind of wanted to go on the trip _with_ her- but it wasn't as if he was going to begrudge his wife wanting to spend time with her best friend. After all, she _was_ the one who had won the tickets in the first place, it was only right that she decide how to use them.

She did, after all, possess luck that was nothing short of divine.

For as much as devils existed, the force that counterbalanced them wasn't exorcists- but rather, those with feathery wings of white. Humans had taken to calling them angels, though that perhaps, wasn't quite right- although they were beings with white wings, who blessed humans with good fortune and helped send them down lucky paths, it wasn't a name they themselves used. But it was the name that had stuck, in the end, and these beings didn't do much to question it, being fond of humanity as they were. Some of them became so fond of the humans that they watched after that they would occasionally trade in their wings for a chance to live among them as a normal human, usually out of love.

Sometimes though, that love just didn't work out. Sometimes Shinichi wondered if Kisaki Eri still thought it was worth it- giving up her wings to marry the likes of Mouri Kogoro, who in the end, she had formally divorced. But judging from the fact that this relationship, however failed it had been in the end, had given her Ran, he was pretty certain that the answer was yes- it had been.

Those children born between of the union were usually ordinary humans- but without fail, all of them were born lucky. And without fail, all of them were tantalizing to the likes of devils- which was the reason that Ran's mother had contacted local exorcist, Kudo Yukiko, in the first place, to watch over her daughter in times when she couldn't be there herself. There had been a near call before- a call that was far too close for anyone's tastes, and it had been that call that had prompted Shinichi to implore his mother to teach him everything that she knew in the first place.

Thinking back on it, maybe he'd already been in love with her even back then.

"When are you and Sonoko leaving?" Shinichi asked.

"This weekend. We've already made arrangements." Ran told him, glancing back at her husband, giving him something of a stern look. "No getting into trouble while I'm gone, Shinichi. That goes for _both_ of your jobs, mister."

"I promise." Casting her a fond smile, Shinichi reached wrapped his hands around her waist, pulling her close. "I won't go anywhere again, Ran. Though, really, it's not like I actually _went_ anywhere the first time."

"Well, that's true." Ran said, giving him a small laugh. "Conan-kun sure was cute though. Sometimes I miss the little guy, even though he's right here with me."

"Isn't your own husband cuter?" Shinichi almost pouted, lips twisting together in a slight frown, though he knew she was teasing him.

"My husband is _handsome_." Ran stated, casting a slight smile back towards him. "And also needs to get his hands from around my waist. There's a timer beeping and a stew that needs to be fetched."

"Alas!" Finally letting go of Ran, Shinichi gave her a slight laugh. "Well, I hope you and Sonoko have fun on your trip, Ran. It really has been awhile since the two of you got to go on one together. I'll hold down the fort here, and I _promise_ \- I won't get into any trouble."

Well, not any more trouble than he usually found himself in, he thought.

* * *

Hattori Heiji still remembered the first time he'd realized that, technically speaking, he was one of the 'bad guys'.

At the very least, that was how his nine year old self had put it at the time, still possessing a child's simple view of the world. It had been a devastating blow to his younger self, especially as his parents had carefully tailored his life to avoid exposure to such information, not wanting him to deal with it until he was older- old enough to understand, old enough to realize that the world wasn't quite as black and white as everyone thought it was. That there were still allowances for shades of gray in what everyone else thought was clear cut.

Even back then, he hadn't been entirely naive, having always wondered why he wasn't allowed to go out and play on his own, not unless one of his parents, or Kazuha was with him- or sometimes one of Kazuha's parents. He'd always wondered why his mother never showed her true self in public, even though her wings were majestic, and her horns were all the more so. His own had still been tiny nubs at the time, having only really begun to start growing in around that age- and they still hadn't _quite_ fully grown in, he thought to himself, carefully placing a finger over one of his smaller pair, that peeked out ever so slightly from his forehead, straggling far behind the larger pair that sprouted behind his ears, arching upwards above his head.

But still, when he was a child, his only real worry was why they were a white color, so different from the deep red of his mother's. He never suspected that the reason why his mother was so careful to keep the truth of what he was concealed from those around them was because half of his blood came from a race that those around them considered to be evil, dark creatures. He didn't understand why it was so important that the rest of the world kept viewing him as a normal human child, and why his parents had been so hesitant to send him to school amongst normal children.

He'd only just wanted to go to school with Kazuha, at the time, he recalled. He'd begged his mother with pleading eyes, and she'd relented, promising him that she would speak with his father. He never would have expected that what he thought was a simple desire would have completely turned his view of the world on it's head. It wasn't easy having to come to terms with the fact that most of your kind were, quite frankly, monsters. He still hadn't, not really.

"Geez, Heiji!" Kazuha's voice drew his attention away from the mirror, and he turned towards his childhood friend to give her something of a sheepish grin. "We both have mornin' practice today, so what are ya doin', still standin' around with yer horns on full display? If we don't hurry, we're both goin' to be late!"

"Ah, sorry, sorry." Heiji's sheepish grin turning into a broad smile, he rubbed the back of his head. "Don't ya think they've grown a little though?" He asked, a slight hint of optimism in his voice, using a finger to indicate one of his smaller horns.

"They look the same as they've always been ta me." Kazuha said frankly, watching her friend's expression fall a little. "Honestly, of all the things ta have a complex about, Heiji. Even yer mother said that they might not grow anymore than they already have. Ya only have half of her blood, after all. Now put 'em _away_ , we can't have the team captains for the kendo and aikido clubs running late."

"Fine, fine." Grumbling a little to himself, Heiji folded his arms in front of his chest. As the golden color of his eyes faded back into a far more normal blue color, the traits that marked him as anything other than human vanished in the blink of an eye, as if they had never been there. "I _still_ think they grew."

"Sure, sure, they've grown." Nodding her head, her words clearly meant simply to appease the boy that she'd known since she was in diapers, Kazuha watched as he pulled on the jacket of his school uniform, and grabbed his bag, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Did ya forget somethin', Heiji?"

"Nope." Heiji said quickly, attempting to duck through the doorway past her- but the ponytailed girl stood there, forming an iron wall, her gaze boring holes into his skull. "Aw, c'mon Kazuha! There's need fer me ta drag that silly charm of yers everywhere! Yer the one who said ya weren't even old enough ta make _real_ ones when ya gave it ta me, so it's not even like it _works_. An' who ever heard of a _devil_ carryin' around a good luck charm anyways?"

"Ya got _shot_ the last time ya didn't have it on ya, Heiji, an' yer dad had ta work _real hard_ ta cover up the fact that ya bleed black." Kazuha said sternly, her gaze brokering no argument. "I might just be a priestess in trainin' now, but ya know ya can't win against me, right?"

Heaving a long, exasperated sigh, Heiji cast one final glower at the stubborn girl he called his best friend, before he stalked over towards his desk, retrieving the charm from within, making a show of stringing it around his neck and tucking it underneath his shirt. "There. Charm. Ya happy? You were the one fussin' about us bein' late after all."

"Good." Nodding her head, a pleased smile crossed her face, as Kazuha finally stepped aside to allow Heiji to leave the room, watching as he stalked past her, still muttering underneath his breath about how it was embarrassing to wear matching charms with your childhood friend when you were already seventeen. Falling into step behind him, Kazuha paused to wait for him as he laced up his boots.

"Ah, are you two leaving already?" Emerging from the living room, a bright smile on her face, Hattori Shizuka cast the pair a smile. "It's a bit early, isn't it?"

"Mornin' practice." Heiji told her, briefly sparing his mother a glance. In the privacy of her own home, she was free to take whatever appearance that she liked- and she chose not to waste her energy masquerading as a human woman when she had no reason not to. She wasn't like him, after all, who was both at once, neither of his two forms being fake- the human guise that she showed to the world was just that- a disguise.

He knew the story of his parent's whirlwind romance all too well- they told it to him practically until he'd memorized it, word for word. Who would have ever thought that his stern faced, stoic father would manage to not only sweep a devil woman off of her feet, but also all but pull the darkness out of her own heart- a total inverse of what she had been trying to accomplish when she'd approached then police detective Hattori Heizo, hoping to bring a paragon of morality down into the dirt.

She'd never been happier to fail anything in her entire life, really.

Still, she never could have imagined that one day she would marry the man she'd tried and failed to lure down the wrong path, much less have a child with him. A child that bore blood from both of them, a child that she treasured more than anything else in the world. A child that she _wished_ would put more faith into her words about him being inherently good, and didn't feel the need to prove himself as such.

"I see. Well, do your best, the two of you." Shizuka told them, giving them a smile, before giving her son's head a little ruffle, a sly grin on her face as he protested this, all but swatting her hand away. "Remember to mind your strength, Heiji."

"M'not a baby anymore, mom, ya don't need ta keep remindin' me." Grumbling to himself as he tried to fix his hair, he shot Kazuha a look as she tried and failed to mask her laughter. "Anyways, we're off."

"Do be sure to call if you get mixed up in another case again, Heiji." Shizuka chided him lightly. "Ah, and your father will be coming home late tonight, so it'll just be the two of us for dinner tonight. Maybe I should fire up one of my old specialities while I have the chance."

"Agh, mom, _don't_." Heiji made a face at her words, knowing full well what she meant. His mother's old specialities sometimes _still moved_ after being cooked and served up in pieces on a plate.

"Well I'm just worried that human food isn't _enough_ for my growing baby boy." Shizuka told him with a frown, reaching out to pinch one of his cheeks- which he quickly stepped back to avoid. Honestly, it was because of things like this that his second pair of horns were still on the small size. He seemed to have inherited his taste buds from his father, as fate would have it. "There's nutrients that you can only get from hell beasts, Heiji! You shouldn't be so picky with your food!"

"I like my food not movin' anymore, mom." Heiji told her, a dry tone to his voice. "Anyways, I'll call ya if I get involved in another case, I promise."

"And I'll call you if he doesn't, Auntie Shizuka." Kazuha said lightly, a smile on her face that spoke of how well she knew of Heiji's habit of losing track of everything else around him when there was a mystery to be solved. Honestly, the fact that he had been gaining fame lately as a high school detective did nothing to help matters- he was getting praised left and right by the police and the media alike, and she was pretty sure it was starting to go to his head.

Not that she wasn't proud of him, mind you. How many people could say that their childhood friend was a high school detective?

Perhaps, admittedly more than those who could say their childhood friend was half devil. And it was that, she knew, that motivated him to pick up detective work in the first place. He didn't talk about it often, but she knew that he had a complex about being 'one of the bad guys' as he sometimes still put it, unable to lay the childish notion to rest. He wanted to prove himself to everyone around him- and to _himself_ , as well- that he was just as good as any other human was- and would sometimes put himself at great risk just to do so.

Honestly, she wished that he wasn't so reckless. It was all that she could do to keep up with him, and hope for the best. There was only so much that the charms that she made could do for him, even if she was learning the ways of being a priestess from her mother. It wasn't easy creating charms even a devil could use, even a half blooded one.

There was no doubt in her mind that Heiji was doing a lot of good- he was, quite frankly, brilliant, and more than deserved every ounce of praise he got. And while he grumbled and fussed at being compared to Kudo Shinichi, a young detective who had first rose to fame as a high school detective seven years ago, she knew that it was that very same young man that had so inspired the then ten year old Heiji, hot off the heels of his realization that by all accounts, devils were supposed to be wicked creatures, and had him declaring that one day, he was going to be a cool detective, just like that!

When word from her mother's grapevine passed down information that Kudo Shinichi was also, in fact, an exorcist, Heiji's expression had fallen a little- but he nevertheless hadn't lost sight of his dream. Now that they were in high school, he'd begun to do just that in earnest, solving all sorts of complicated cases that had even the police baffled. And whenever he flashed that broad, triumphant grin of his, baring his sharpened canines for all the world to see, the one trace of his hidden blood he could never quite shake, knowing that he'd caught the culprit out, that he'd found the truth, she couldn't help but fall more and more in love with him.

Even though she was fairly certain he never looked at her that way at all.

* * *

"The Wish Fulfillment Foundation?"

"Yes." Sliding the card across the table, Takagi Miwako- who had formerly gone by the surname of Sato up until three years ago- gave Shinichi a rather stern look. "We found the business card amongst the culprit's belongings. Forensics detected a slight trace of magic to it, so we thought we should call you in and have you take a look at it yourself, Kudo-kun."

"Sounds shady." That wasn't his intuition as a detective nor an exorcist speaking- but rather just general common sense, he thought, as he took the card in hand. It had no numbers and no names on it- nothing was printed on the card but the name of the Foundation in question, a Foundation which he'd never heard of. He could feel the faint thrum of magic underneath his fingers, but whatever spell had been cast on the card, it had already been used.

 _"This isn't what I was promised."_

"I can't tell that much from the card alone." Shinichi said with a slight frown. "Perhaps it might have had a one shot spell cast on it to allow it to be used as a communication device. Whatever spell it was, it's long since been used up by now. Does anyone in the police know anything about this so called Foundation?"

"No, we haven't been able to turn up anything. That's why we called in you, Kudo-kun." Miwako told him frankly. "When we asked the culprit about it, he claimed that he had no memory of the card."

"He's either lying, or his memories have been erased." Shinichi observed, setting the card back down. "And I'm banking on the latter. Is there any chance I could keep this card, Miwako-san?"

"You're welcome to it." Miwako said, nodding her head. "It's probably better off with you than us anyways, now that our department's only magic user has retired."

"How _is_ your husband, by the way?" Shinichi asked, carefully pocketing the card, making sure to dispel any lingering magic on it, on the off chance it carried a tracer spell on it. "Not to mention your children. Your oldest has a birthday coming up, doesn't she?"

"They're very well, thank you for asking. And yes, she does." Allowing herself a small smile, Miwako nevertheless quickly got back down to business. "We can't really say anything yet, Kudo-kun, but it feels like there's something a bit more to this case than just what meets the eye. We'd like you to look into it, from _both_ angles, if possible. This may very well be the start of more trouble."

"Let's hope not." Shinichi said, a grim expression crossing his face at the prospect of having to deal with another such thing. "Once in my lifetime was enough."

"And the world is grateful to you, Kudo-kun, much as they don't know it was you behind the fall of that Black Organization." Miwako told him, a hint of a smile dancing across her face. "But if you turn anything up, please call me. If this does turn out to be something big, I'd like for the police to be involved with the matter."

"I'll give you a call the moment I know something concrete." Shinichi promised her, giving the woman an easy smile as he got to his feet. "Is there anything else?"

"No, there's nothing else. Other than the card, everything regarding yesterday's case is proceeding quite smoothly." Miwako told him. "Thank you for that as well, Kudo-kun."

"No, it was really nothing. You know that you can call on me any time, Miwako-san." Shinichi told her. In the past, he might have gloated over the praise he was getting, but he'd grown and matured since then- thank god, really, since reflecting back on it, his self from before his days as Edogawa Conan had been almost insufferable. It was a wonder Ran managed to put up with him at all. "I'm always more than happy to help. That's what I'm here for, after all."

His instincts had sharpened since then as well- and as he felt the card that was now tucked safely away inside of his pocket, he got a feeling that the police Inspector in front of him was right- that this _was_ the start of more trouble.

* * *

"The Wish Fulfillment Foundation?"

At the two voices that spoke up, almost in unison, the girl they were addressing slowly nodded her head. She had come from the neighboring middle school in order to consult with the high school detective of rumors that attended school there, to speak with him about things that had been troubling her lately.

In her hands, she carried a single business card, which she placed on the table in front of them. The three of them were sitting in a cafe near Kaihou High School at the moment, having brought the girl there to discuss the matter. She had told them that she was on her middle school's volleyball team, and that lately, some of the members of the team had been acting a bit strangely- they were more aggressive than she remembered them, and were becoming careless of their teammates.

And, incidentally, they had gotten _a lot_ better.

"So yer sayin' that when ya started snoopin' around, ya found this card in their stuff?" Heiji asked, taking the card in question. Almost instantly, his eyes narrowed, feeling a strange tug at his devil's blood. Quickly, he passed the card on to Kazuha, whose eyes also likewise narrowed the moment she took it from him.

"There's a spell on this card." Kazuha mumbled, putting a hand to her chin. "Or, no, actually, I think it's already been used up, but..."

"A spell?" The girl who had asked to consult with them- or well, with just Heiji, actually, Kazuha had been the one to bring herself along to the meeting- could only blink, before leaning forward. "Like magic?"

"Ah, yeah." Kazuha told her. "My mother's a priestess, ya see. That's why I can tell that sort of thing."

"An' yer sayin' all the girls that started actin' strangely had this card with them?" Heiji asked. "An' that when ya asked 'em about it, they denied havin' any memory of the card, or anythin' ta do with it."

"That's right." The girl said, nodding her head. "These girls aren't usually like this, really. They all quite nice, actually!" She was quick to say, before her shoulders slumped, and she leaned back in the booth, closing her eyes. "Losing our last tournament that badly really hit them hard, so I can understand why they might be striving to get better, but even if that were the case, there's no explanation for their aggressive behavior. We all used to be so close, even."

"Almost like they're under a spell as well." Heiji muttered underneath his breath, his eyes narrowing, a flash of anger coursing through him. He had a feeling that he knew what was going on here, even without having to do a deeper investigation into the matter- the feeling that card had given him was more than enough for him to know that more than likely, devils were involved.

Honestly, why was the rest of that lot- his mother excluded, of course- such a huge pain in the ass? Targeting depressed middle school girls was _low_. He was ashamed to share even one iota of blood with them.

But even though there was no mistake that devils were involved, there was something still that bothered him about what he'd been told. While it wouldn't be that strange for one devil to target an entire team of disappointed, disheartened players- what was the matter of the business card in question? Such a thing normally wouldn't have been necessary for a devil, and yet, here it was, in Kazuha's hands, as she intently studied it, trying to decipher what kind of spell had been cast on it just from the faint traces left behind.

Something was fishy here.

"Ya should probably call fer an exorcist, not a detective, Natsumi-san." Kazuha told her, briefly glancing over at Heiji, who gave her a slightly annoyed shrug of the shoulders, unable to help but agree with her assessment. She knew by and large, he didn't care for that lot either- not that she could blame him, really. He'd had some less than pleasant run-ins with them in the past. "But can we keep this card?"

"Sure, I don't mind." Natsumi told them, nodding her head. "Are you certain, though? That they're, you know..."

"Flippin' what ya told us on it's head, there's every reason fer yer teammates to be more aggressive an' angry after losin' that badly, but there's _no_ reason as to why they would have suddenly improved so quickly." Heiji told her, casting one eye in her direction, ignoring the look of mild concern that he got from Kazuha. "Kazuha's right, ya should probably contact an exorcist. I'm sure that they'd get yer teammates back to normal in a hurry."

"Then, I'll do that, then!" Getting to her feet, Natsumi gathered up her things, giving the pair a quick bow. "Sorry for taking up your time, Hattori-senpai, Toyama-senpai."

"Don't worry about it, Natsumi-han." Heiji told her, giving the girl a quick grin. "I hope everythin' works out fer ya. Give yer squad a pep talk once this is all over, they must be more down in the dumps than ya thought to let themselves be manipulated by devils."

"Ah, yes, I will!" Giving them another quick bow, the girl quickly made her way out of the cafe. It was only once she was gone, that Kazuha turned towards Heiji, placing the business card back down on the table, giving her childhood friend a rather considering look.

"Devils don't give out business cards." Kazuha said frankly, tapping the card in question. "I know that look in yer eyes, Heiji. There's somethin' more behind this, isn't there?"

"That's the feelin' I'm gettin'." Heiji told her, picking up the card himself now, turning it over in his hands. "Thanks fer askin' fer the card, Kazuha. I was about ta do it myself."

"I thought as much." Kazuha told him, giving him something of a knowing grin. "How long have we known each other, Heiji? It's not that hard fer me ta guess what yer thinkin'. But Heiji, if this is somethin' that really _does_ involve devils, shouldn't we be talkin' to an exorcist? I'm just a priestess, an' one in trainin' at that, an' it ain't like ya can use magic yerself."

"Where the hell would we dig up an exorcist that's willin' ta work with _me_?" Heiji asked her, casting his friend a pointed look. "The risks's too high. Besides, don't sell yerself short, Kazuha, ya might still be in trainin', but even yer old lady says yer magic is more powerful than hers was at yer age. Ya should have some more confidence in yerself."

"Mm." Folding her arms in front of her chest, sensing that this attempt at flattery was based on _more_ than just wanting to boost his childhood friend's confidence. "So? What is it that ya want from me, ya silver-tongued prince of lies?"

"I'd _never_ lie ta ya, Kazuha." Heiji told her, placing a hand on his chest, a look of mock offense spreading across his face. Besides, he was terrible at lying anyways, ironically enough. For a half-devil, he'd always been incredibly honest, ever since he was a little kid- even when it worked against his favor. Neither of his parents was quite certain where he'd picked up _that_ particular trait from. "I was just thinkin' that _maybe_ we could try knockin' out one of the devils an' maybe askin' them some questions real nice like."

Heaving a long sigh, Kazuha gave her friend an equally long look, watching as his expression shifted into that broad grin of his that she was so in love with. _Unfair_ , she thought to herself- there was no way she could say no to that kind of look. "Fine, fine. I'll help ya out, Heiji. From the sound of it, it's probably low level devils doin' the possessin'. But listen, Heiji- ya'd better catch it right away once I knock it out, otherwise there's gonna be trouble, ya here?"

"I will, I will." Flashing Kazuha a reassuring grin, he couldn't help but notice that her skeptical look didn't fade from her face. "When have I _ever_ let ya down?"

"Ya want the bullet point list?"

* * *

When he'd sent out a request to the exorcist's guild to direct any jobs that had anything to do with something called 'The Wish Fulfillment Foundation', Shinichi hadn't expected to get a hit so soon. It had only been a day since he'd placed the request that he got a response, informing him of a likely mass possession incident down in Osaka, involving a middle school girl's volleyball team. One of the members of the team came forward with the information that her teammates had been acting oddly lately- growing more aggressive, and more importantly- suddenly more skilled.

She had also mentioned that when she had started looking for clues, that she'd uncovered a business card in their possession- a simple card that only read _The Wish Fulfillment Foundation_ on it. The card itself was no longer in her possession- she'd told them that she'd handed it over to a certain high school detective that she had decided to consult about the matter at first.

A high school detective- now _there_ was a blast from the past, Shinichi couldn't help but think to himself, even as he carefully observed the brightly lit streets of Osaka from his perch on top of a building. He half wanted to meet the guy in question, though the girl giving the report hadn't given his name, and the exorcist taking it didn't think it was important. Come to think of it, he'd heard Inspector Megure mention something once before about a promising young detective from the Kansai region- and he guessed that the high school detective and the promising young detective were one and the same.

Well, hopefully said high school detective wouldn't pry too hard into the case- though if he was anything like Shinichi was at that age, he knew that he likely _would_. There was a limit to what a normal human could do against a devil, even if they were low level ones, like the three he'd already captured. It would be nice if he could ask them questions, but the language of low level devils wasn't something that humans could understand in the first place. They weren't like their more humanoid counterparts, who could speak human languages with ease, lies and false promises alike falling from their tongues.

He'd captured three of the four devils that were involved in this case- although if he didn't miss his guess, the one who had been spreading them to the members of the volleyball team was probably a higher level devil, using the lower level ones as their underlings. It wasn't an uncommon practice, especially in situations like this, where the promise that they delivered on was making the ones they tempted more skilled at something. Thankfully, the girls in question would be alright- children and teenagers might have been more susceptible to a devil's manipulation, but they were also better at bouncing back from it.

Now he just needed to capture the fourth and final one- but the girl it had been possessing had slipped out of her house that night. Shinichi wondered if it was because they had caught wind of the fact that he was after them- but he doubted it, quite frankly. When he'd spoken to her parents, they had said that they'd gotten a call from a friend, and had left to go see them in something of a hurry.

This would be easier, he thought, if he were at all familiar with Osaka's streets.

Still, after a moment, he detected a trace of the twisted energy that the creatures gave off, and he turned his attention towards it. Using it to guide his path, he passed by those gathered on the streets of Osaka without them taking notice of the masked man, as if he existed almost out of focus. And he _did_ \- that was the entire purpose of the mask, to conceal himself from the view of normal humans, and to protect his identity alike. They were special items, important to an exorcist, each mask custom made and enchanted to prevent both recognition and detection- even by those who knew the wearer well.

He'd felt a little silly wearing it when he was younger, but he'd gotten used to it now. His experiences with the Black Organization had taught him the value of keeping secrets, as much as it had also taught him the value of trusting others.

The trail lead him to a more secluded part of the city- here there was no bustling foot traffic, and Shinichi found himself truly alone. Instantly on guard, wondering if this were perhaps some kind of trap, he quickly came to realize that he presence of the devil that he was looking for wasn't the only one that he could detect here. It didn't take him long to come across the source of the rest of the twisted energy that he sensed- because it in fact, held the low level devil that he'd been seeking out in one of his hands, grasping it firmly by the head, keeping the squealing gremlin-like beast from escaping.

"I finally caught ya, ya asshole!"

With an irritated twitch of his tail, dark brown fur bristling as he spoke, the devil in question grumbled as he pulled the tiny winged beast closer to him, muttering underneath his breath about what a pain in the ass chase he'd just gone through. At once, Shinichi couldn't help but be struck by the oddity of the devil's Osakan accent- he'd never actually heard of a devil taking on the local accent before.

But perhaps, even more curious, was the fact that it's horns- a pair of them, one large, and one small- were a stark white color, a contrast against both the night sky and the devil's own dark skin. He'd seen horns of many colors- any number of shades of red and brown, not to mention jet black, but he'd never seen _white_ before- almost the color of human bone.

And, as the devil slowly took notice of the exorcist, golden eyes turning in Shinichi's direction, he caught sight of the most curious thing of all- the devil wore a mask. One that wasn't dissimilar to the one Shinichi himself wore, one designed to prevent recognition from prying eyes. Something that a devil shouldn't be in possession of in the first place.

No, perhaps that wasn't the most curious thing of all, Shinichi thought, his eyes narrowing as he took a step forward, into the light cast by the moon. Perhaps the most curious thing was the devil's eyes- though golden in color, they were far too _human_ for Shinichi's comfort- he'd never seen such eyes on a devil before. It was more than enough to give him pause.

"Are you that devil's superior?" Shinichi found himself asking, narrowing his eyes. The devil appeared young- younger than himself, at any rate, but he knew that age was a meaningless concept for most devils. Odds were, the one in front of him might very well be older than himself. "I have some business with it- and you, if that is the case."

"Hah?" Almost seeming to balk at the accusation, the masked devil glanced down at the winged gremlin in it's hand, giving it a quick shake, listening to the low level beast squeak in protest, whispering out words in a language that Shinichi couldn't understand, but was pretty certain was a curse of some kind. " _Me_? This thing's boss? Ya insult me! I'm after this thing, just the same as you are!"

"Oh?" Shinichi asked, arching his brows. "What is a devil doing chasing another devil, might I ask?"

"Lookin' fer information." The masked devil replied simply, shrugging it's shoulders. "That's all. I'm not up ta anythin' bad, if that's what ya think, Mister Exorcist. Ya can even take this thing if ya want. Turns out it's got nothin' ta say ta me anyways."

That was odd- a higher level devil should be able to command a low level one to tell it whatever it wanted. And what information was this odd devil looking for in the first place?

"If you're offering to hand it over to me, I will accept it." Shinichi stated slowly, carefully watching the devil's movements. "Provided you tell me what it is that you're doing here yourself."

"Like I said, I'm not up ta anythin' bad!" The masked devil grumbled, eyes narrowing underneath it's mask. Closing the distance between the two of them, the devil's tail twitched as he held out his hand, offering the flailing, squirming gremlin to Shinichi. "Come on, take it, if that's what ya came here fer anyways. An' ya don't have ta worry about the girl it came from either, she's fine."

"Awfully considerate for a devil, aren't you?" Shinichi couldn't help but observe, awkwardly taking the gremlin from him, half unsure from where to hold it, before he decided to grab it from the head, much as the devil had been doing. "I don't suppose that what you're looking for is information on the Wish Fulfillment Foundation?"

The devil masked his surprise well- but not well enough, Shinichi thought. It wasn't so much his expression that betrayed him- but his tail, which bristled at the mention.

"So what if I am?" The masked devil asked, taking two, three steps back, eyes watching the exorcist with caution- before it broke it, flashing the young man a rather broad grin, baring sharpened canines. As he spoke, a pair of wings unfurled from the devil's back, leathery and bat-like- and also a stark white color that stood out against the night sky, the same as his horns. "I don't see why that's any of yer concern, exorcist."

"Because you aren't doing anything wrong?" Shinichi hazarded a guess, the squirming gremlin in his hands more or less preventing him from pursuing the bigger prey.

"Exactly." The masked devil gave a quick nod of his head, his grin only growing, lifting off the ground with a few flaps of his wings, hovering slightly in the air. "I'm on yer side, exorcist."

"Are you now?" Shinichi asked, unable to keep his interest from showing in his tone. It had been awhile since he had heard words like that from a devil. Not since five years ago, now, on that rainy night. "That's very interesting, if that's the case. Why don't we work together, then?"

"That's a mighty generous offer, Kudo Shinichi." The masked devil couldn't help but let out a faint laugh at the brief shock that bolted through Shinichi's body, his tail twitching in response to his amusement. "I'll think about it."

With that, the odd devil disappeared into the night sky, leaving Shinichi with frankly, more questions than he had before. And a knowing feeling that it probably wouldn't be long before they crossed paths with each other again.


	2. Unusual Guests

AN: And without delay, here's the second chapter! I had great fun writing parts of this chapter, so I hope everyone enjoys it just as much! Anyways, thanks for reading, and until next time! Don't forget to leave a review on your way out!

* * *

 **Devils Bleed Black**

 **Chapter Two**

 **Unusual Guests**

* * *

" _White_?"

The skeptical note on the young girl's voice was clear as day, words carefully punctuated by the _clink_ of her teacup as she placed it down on her saucer. "You're saying that you met a white winged, white horned _devil_."

"See, when you say it with that tone of voice, it makes me sound like I imagined the whole thing, Haibara." For all that he appeared twice the age of the young girl who sat across from him, her cold stare nevertheless still managed to make him falter somewhat- however certain he was about what he had seen, and what he had encountered.

"I'm saying that I've never heard of such a thing in all of my years, Kudo-kun." Haibara Ai cooly observed, locking eyes with the young man who sat across from her. In spite of appearances, she was older than him, but at least a good hundred years- certain circumstances in her life had resulted in her taking on the appearance of a twelve year old girl. "White is not a devil's color."

"Now, don't say that, Haibara. I think you look quite cute in white, for a kid." Shinichi told her, flashing her a playful grin- one that the girl quickly gave a venomous glare in return, causing him to flinch. "It was just a joke, a joke."

"It had better be." Letting a deep sigh escape from her lips, Ai carefully placed her teacup back down on the table in front of her. She had wondered why Shinichi had called her out to his detective agency that morning, but she never would have expected to hear such a story from his lips. Even if she was living proof herself that not all devils were of the malicious sort, much as the world wanted everyone to believe otherwise. And yet, the detective seemed convinced of what he had seen- and frankly, Ai was willing to believe him.

"And? You just let him fly away after that?" Ai asked, casting a skeptical eye towards the young man who had, against all odds, decided to ally himself with her. She wouldn't have expected as much from an exorcist, and indeed, at first, he had nothing but doubts in regards to her- it had been her tears, in the end, that had moved him. Tears of remorse for the human woman that she had foolishly developed feelings for, having come to view her as a real sister, as if she were truly family to her.

A devil's tears, much like their blood, came out black.

"There wasn't much I could do at the time, not with my hands full with the gremlin." There was a hint of protest in Shinichi's voice- of course, he'd tried to track down the devil afterwards, but it was as if he'd disappeared into thin air. Which, in and of itself, was not all that strange, that was not a trick that was all that uncommon for devils to pull off. When he'd gone looking, he eventually located the middle school girl who had been possessed by the devil in question, sleeping soundly on a bench in the park. She looked no worse for wear, just as the devil had promised, for which he was glad.

"And he claimed that he was on your side?" Ai asked, folding her arms in front of her chest. "Well, it's true that such a thing isn't impossible. I know that much myself. But you're certainly right. The devil you met does sound like a strange one."

"So it would seem." Letting a slight sigh escape his lips, Shinichi folded his hands together in thought. Though he'd tried to question the middle school girls who had been possessed by the gremlins, they claimed not to remember anything- and he believed them. So once more, he'd found himself without any leads- other than the knowledge that whatever this Wish Fulfillment Foundation was, it was acting both in Tokyo and Osaka, at the very least.

That devil too, appeared to be chasing the very same lead.

"So? What's this about this so called Wish Fulfillment Foundation?" Ai asked. "It sounds incredibly shady."

"I don't know yet." Shinichi told her, shaking his head. "But I've got a feeling that there's something going on behind the scenes here, just outside of my reach. I contacted the guild, of course, but they didn't have any information on it either. It might very well be that another group of devils is starting to band together, just as they did in the past."

"Hopefully they won't be as troublesome." Ai noted, taking another sip of her tea. She herself had been involved in said Organization- it was her very own curse that had forced Kudo Shinichi to take up the alias of Edogawa Conan in the first place, and it was the very same curse that now more or less bound her to a human form- and though she'd chafed at it for a time, she'd become used to it now. She'd already lived for over a hundred years, spending another hundred or so living as a normal human girl didn't sound so bad.

She'd been trying to kill herself, actually. She'd been quite surprised with the curse meant to trigger her death had instead turned her into a small human child. She'd certainly heard of humans transforming into devils, but never really the reverse. But then again, she'd _also_ never heard of any devils with white horns, and she was quite certain that Shinichi knew what he saw.

"Well, my magical powers are limited now that I've become somewhat human, but you can call on me if you need information, Kudo-kun. I owe you that much." Ai told him, casting a small smile his way. "Especially in regards to this strange devil you met. Well, chances are, if you're both investigating the same matter, the two of you might very well run into each other again before long. Although I doubt he'd come knocking on the door of your detective agency, even if he did seem to be able to realize who you were. His magic must either be very strong, or alternatively, he might simply have none of his own."

"A devil without magic? Is such a thing possible?" Shinichi couldn't help but keep a note of skepticism out of his voice. He'd never heard of such a thing before- maybe he should give his mother a call about this matter. "Well, it's true that he's probably not going to come knocking. Present company excluded, as well as those two, I've made sure to properly ward my office long ago to prevent such intrusions."

"Besides, it would have to be a seriously reckless devil to _willingly_ walk into the office of someone that he knew was an exorcist."

* * *

"You _can't_ be serious."

"I'm completely serious."

Heaving a long sigh, her arms folded in front of her chest, Kazuha could only wonder if Heiji even understood the concept of self-preservation- even a little bit. She'd been furious with him after she'd learned that not only had he let the gremlin he'd wanted to pry information from get away from him- but that he'd managed to encounter an exorcist while he was doing so. And instead of trying to run away on sight, he'd stopped to have something of a _pleasant chat_ with said exorcist.

"He's goin' ta recognize yer voice." Kazuha told him, narrowing her eyes. "Even if the mask does work to prevent him from recalling yer features all that well, this is a detective we're talkin' about here- and not just any detective, Heiji, but _Kudo Shinichi_. And yer tellin' me after all of that, ya really wanna go knock on the door of his office an' ask him ta lend ya a helpin' hand? There's no way he's not gonna find out!"

"He's not gonna find out." Heiji was quick to reassure her, flashing her a wide grin. "That's why yer here with me, Kazuha! Nobody's gonna suspect that a devil and a priestess are childhood friends."

"Yer the one who just said the other day that it was too risky to involve an exorcist in this." Kazuha pointed out, giving her childhood friend a rather stern look. She had half a mind to drag him back home and have his mother properly lecture him about doing something so ridiculous. So what if the exorcist in question had asked him if he'd like to work together, that didn't mean that wasn't some kind of trap!

"Aw c'mon, it'll be fine." Waving a dismissive hand, Heiji didn't seem to feel the same tension that his friend had at all. She could still see the afterglow that he had from meeting the person that he admired- even if he'd never admit as much out loud, and even if the circumstances under which they had met had not been as fellow detectives, but as exorcist and devil, far less than ideal. "Ya worry too much Kazuha. 'Sides I'm half-human too, remember? Nobody's gonna think that the son of Osaka's chief of police has anythin' ta do with devils."

"But, _Heiji_ ," Kazuha began again, having her protests silenced by a finger placed against her lip, and that damnable smile of his, the one that she couldn't fight against. She wasn't certain really, if it was just because she was in love with him, or if it was because he had a devil's natural charisma, but that damn smile of his managed to win most arguments.

Not all of them, mind you, but a good number of them.

"It'll be fine, really, Kazuha. 'Sides from the way he talked ta me, I don't think he's such a bad guy, this Kudo Shinichi." Heiji told her. "Considerin' most exorcists are the shoot first, ask questions almost never type, the fact that he was willing to chat with me like a normal person at all is a pretty good sign. I've got a good feelin' about him, Kazuha."

"Are ya sure that's not just yer crush talkin'?" Kazuha asked, finally relenting- but not without getting in a final teasing shot in at him.

"Idiot, I already told ya, I don't have a crush on him!" Heiji sputtered, feeling his cheeks turn hot. It was for the best that he had dark skin, he thought, as it managed to mask the fact that the color that tinted his cheeks wasn't exactly a bright red. "He's not my type, anyways."

"Then, what is yer type?" Kazuha asked, leaning in a little closer to him, that playful smile still on her lips. Perhaps some of Heiji's own mischievous streak had rubbed off on her over the years.

"I-it doesn't really matter!" Heiji stammered, averting his gaze from her, looking out the window of the train. "This is a stupid conversation anyways!"

Faintly hearing Kazuha click her tongue, Heiji fought the urge to heave a sigh of relief. After all, there was no way that he could tell her that his type was stubborn yet kind-hearted girls who wore their hair in a ponytail, and whose eyes sparkled like emeralds whenever she was excited.

Besides, he was pretty certain that she never looked at him that way at all.

* * *

There was no way that a devil would stroll up to the door of his detective agency, and ring his doorbell.

Or at least, that was what Shinichi had thought.

And yet when he'd opened up his door to see who the client was that had arrived at his agency's doorstep, he couldn't help but find himself doing a double take. Standing before him was a dark skinned young man, a baseball cap turned forward and worn low over his brow, a wide grin on his face as he all but invited himself inside, without so much as waiting for an invitation.

It took Shinichi a few seconds to realize that this young man was in fact, human, and not a devil at all- and what's more, that he appeared to be accompanied by none other than a priestess, albeit one in training, judging from her informal robes, a purple blossom pattern sewn into the white of her skirt, one that echoed on the charm that she wore hung around her neck.

"Wait a second, Heiji, at least wait until he offers to let us inside first before barrelin' in!" The priestess girl spoke up, lecturing her companion, her words spoken in an unmistakable Osakan accent. Heaving a long sigh, she gave Shinichi an apologetic look, giving him a quick bow in greeting. "I'm sorry about him. I'm Toyama Kazuha, an' that over there," she said, shooting the dark skinned young man a glower, "...is my childhood friend, Hattori Heiji."

"Ah, no, it's alright. Please, come in, Toyama-san." Shinichi blinked, finally seeming to regain a bit of composure. Well, from the way that the guy had barged in here, there was no way he was a devil, Shinichi thought to himself, looking over towards the young man who had already seated himself on the couch, scooting over slightly for Kazuha to join him. He looked no older than seventeen, Shinichi thought to himself as he closed the door behind him.

Vaguely, he felt as if he should know the name Hattori Heiji from somewhere.

"So yer Kudo Shinichi, right?" Finally speaking up, Shinichi found himself blinking once more at the sound of his voice. It was unmistakably similar to that strange devil he'd encountered just the other day- it hadn't been that long, so he'd had no cause to forget his voice. "Like Kazuha over here said, I'm Hattori Heiji. I'm a high school detective from Osaka."

High school detective? _Ah_. _That_ was why his name had sounded familiar to him- he hadn't remembered it at the time, but now that he'd heard it again, he was certain that his was the name that Inspector Megure had brought up once before. The only son of the head of Osaka's police, Hattori Heizo, who was said to be a budding high school detective that was supposed to rival himself in his youth.

And if Shinichi didn't miss his guess, the same high school detective who that girl from the other day had given the business card to.

But even with _that_ mystery solved, he couldn't help but dwell on just how much the young man before him resembled that odd devil. Granted, his features had been concealed by the mask, but he was almost certain that their voices, body types, and heights were almost _exactly_ the same.

In fact, he'd almost be willing to say that they were the same person- were it not for the fact that Heiji had breezed through the barrier meant to keep devils from entering without so much as a second thought. Shinichi hadn't even felt the faintest of crackle of resistance from his spell. There was also the even more pressing fact that he didn't give off the aura of a devil at all- even a devil that had disguised itself as a human still had something of one clinging to him, and he couldn't detect any such thing from this young man. Even _Ai_ still gave off traces of said aura, though she barely even qualified as a devil anymore. The priestess by his side was another argument in favor of his humanity- he'd seen a lot of things in his life, but he'd definitely never heard of anything like a devil and priestess being childhood friends.

With those facts quickly complied, Shinichi was able to draw one conclusion- the devil that he had met last night was likely some kind of doppelganger. Why he'd chosen to mimic the form of the high school detective before him, he wasn't entirely certain, but it simply added another level to his mystery. Briefly, he couldn't help but wonder if Heiji was aware that he had a doppelganger of himself running around, but decided that it was best not to bring it up.

As famous a detective as he was, most weren't aware that he was also an exorcist- and frankly, he'd like to keep it that way. The fact that the devil from the other day had already known who he was was more than a little worrisome.

"Hattori Heiji, is it?" Shinichi finally found his voice again, giving the young man a smile as he took a seat across from the pair. "I've heard about you before, as it were. I never imagined you'd turn up in my agency one day, I'll admit."

"Oh, so ya've heard of me?" Heiji asked, unable to help but flash a grin. He'd seen some doubt flashing through Shinichi's eyes earlier, but whatever doubts he had in regards to him seemed to have been resolved. He resisted the urge to shoot a gloating look over towards Kazuha- he told her there was nothing to worry about. "I'm flattered, Kudo-han. That makes things easier, really. I need yer help."

"Oh?" Leaning forward somewhat, Shinichi couldn't help but be a little bit curious. If his instincts were right, then it was very likely that Heiji was approaching him in regards to none other than the very same case he was looking into- he'd also been given one of their cards, after all. "And what is it that you need my help with, Hattori-kun?"

"What I need yer help with is this." Heiji told him, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out the business card that Shinichi had come to recognize, sliding it across the table towards him. "Ya ever heard of the Wish Fulfillment Foundation?"

"As a matter of fact, I have." Shinichi told him with a slight nod of his head. "It came up the other day during a murder investigation I was working on. Beyond the card though, I have no other leads."

"Listen, I'll cut ta the chase here, Kudo-han." Heiji said, folding his arms in front of his chest, raising his head slightly so that he could lock eyes with the older man. Blue eyes, Shinichi found himself noting dimly- not golden. "I'm not so much approachin' ya here because yer a detective, I'm approachin' ya because yer an exorcist."

Now that did take Shinichi slightly aback. Opening up his mouth to question how it was the young man knew this, he gaze briefly flickered over towards the girl who was sitting next to him- and at that point, he just let out a long sigh. He'd answered his own question, really- if Heiji had heard about him being an exorcist from somewhere, then it likely came from the priestess in training sitting next to him. The job of a priestess was passed down from mother to daughter, and they often worked in tandem with exorcists to begin with. It wasn't that hard to deduce from there where the information had come from.

"I see." Shinichi said finally, giving Heiji a small smile. "Well, don't make it public, though. I like to keep a low profile on that aspect of my life, as do others."

"Nah, don't worry, I wasn't plannin' on it." Heiji was quick to reassure him, flashing that grin of his again. As much as the young man before him had been compared to himself during his high school years, it was strikingly clear that personality-wise, the two of them probably couldn't have been more different if they tried. "Anyways, as far as me an' Kazuha have been able ta gather, there's somethin' fishy goin' on, an' there's no way it doesn't involve devils."

"An' since yer the one who helped bring down that Black Organization or whatever five years, yer the best guy ta come an' talk to about this." Heiji noted, slightly shrugging his shoulders. "Don't get me wrong though, it's not like I need ya ta help me with the detective part. I've got that much covered on my own."

" _Heiji_ -" Kazuha spoke up, narrowing her eyes slightly at her friend.

"I'm not certain if that's the best of ideas, Hattori-kun." Shinichi spoke up, folding his hands in his lap. He got the feeling that it wasn't going to be easy to convince this one to give up on this case- that _was_ something that they had in common, that much he could sense. Still, if his instincts were on the mark, then this case was far too dangerous for what was likely to be a normal human boy after all to get himself involved in. He could get hurt, or possessed- or _worse_.

"What do ya mean?" Heiji asked, quirking a brow. "I'll have ya know that I'm a pretty skilled detective myself!"

"I'm certain that you are, judging from what I've heard about you." Shinichi told him with a slight smile. "That's not the problem here. The problem here is that this _is_ a case that involves devils- and ones that are likely to be very dangerous at that." Letting out a long sigh, he watched as Heiji's expression darkened, not taking to his words all that well. "I can't just let a normal person get involved, even if your friend over there is a priestess in training. Just charms and wards alone won't be enough to keep you safe, and I can't just mind you the whole time to keep you out of harm's way."

"Ya wouldn't need ta!" Heiji sprang to his feet, his anger snapping out into the air around him. What was this guy saying? That he would slow him down? That he would be a burden on this investigation? Any positive feelings that he'd developed for the guy seemed to scatter to the wind- of all the nerve! "I can more than handle myself, Kudo-han! I ain't some helpless kid!"

"I'm sure you are, Hattori-kun." Shinichi told him, more than a little taken aback at the fire of his temper. That was some pretty impressive anger coming from a teenager- he'd heard the phrase hotblooded tossed around in relation to Heiji before, but it seemed like those words were truer than he could have ever imagined. "But nevertheless, this is likely going to be a very dangerous case. I don't know what I would tell your parents if something happened to you."

" _Hah_?" Quirking a brow, Heiji folded his arms in front of his chest, all but glowering down at the older detective with all the fire that he had in him. His mother had once commented that he had a temper worthy of a devil- and she was probably right on the mark. "If ya think I'm just gonna butt out of this investigation just like that, Kudo-han, ya got another thing comin'! I didn't come all this way ta just get turned away by some worrywart adult."

" _Heiji_." Kazuha began, rising to her feet, carefully resting her hands on his shoulders, casting an almost nervous glance over towards Shinichi. Heiji losing his temper was never a good thing- it usually lead to him losing control of his own strength, and the last thing she wanted was for something like that to happen in an exorcist's office. Even if it didn't seem like the man before them suspected anything about Heiji's bloodline yet, she didn't want to give him any reasons to start. "I'm sure Kudo-han doesn't mean to insult you or anythin' like that. Please calm down a little bit."

" _But_ -!" Heiji spat out, before heaving a long sigh, narrowing his eyes at her. He knew why she was worried, after all. "Sorry. Yer right."

Narrowing his eyes a little as he watched the exchange between the two of them- he'd been unable to help but notice the look that Kazuha had sent his way, Shinichi gave the pair a considering look. He had the distinct feeling that even if he turned Heiji away here, he'd just get involved in the investigation on his own- and that idea was even less appealing to Shinichi. At the very least, if they were working together, he could manage to keep something of an eye on him, but if he went off and worked on his own...

It probably wouldn't end well. He'd learned that carelessness around devils could have disastrous results the hard way, and somehow he doubted that Heiji would have the same luck in narrowly escaping death as he had. He didn't want his careless words to lead to the death of the young man before him.

"You sound like you have your reasons as to why you want to investigate this case." Shinichi said after a moment, giving the temperamental young man something of a smile, hoping to calm him somewhat. "I'll hear you out about them, and then I'll make a decision, Hattori-kun."

Giving Shinichi a long look, Heiji finally heaved another sigh, plopping back down on the couch and rubbing the back of his neck. What was he exactly supposed to say in response to that? That it pissed him off to know that something like this was going on behind his back? That he felt an obligation to deal with it himself because he shared half his blood with those lowlifes? That there was no better way for him to prove that he was nothing like the rest of his kind than to put a stop to whatever nefarious plans this Wish Fulfillment Foundation had?

"It's personal." Heiji said finally, dropping his hand from his neck and folding it back in front of his chest. "It's important ta me that I see this case, through, Kudo-han. I'd rather not get into my deeper reasons fer it, if ya don't mind."

"It really _is_ important ta him." Kazuha spoke up, placing a hand on Heiji's knee, half worried he'd snap again if he got a less than favorable response from Shinichi. "I'm pretty sure he'd pursue this case on his own, if he had ta."

Personal. With a slight frown on his face, Shinichi cast an assessing gaze towards the dark skinned young man who was all but sulking on his couch, trace vestiges of the inferno that had been his temper still flaring off of him. Perhaps, he thought to himself, he _was_ well aware that there was a doppelganger devil running around wearing his face. That'd give just about anyone a complex, all the more so in the case of someone who called themselves a detective.

"I see." Shinichi finally spoke, looking between the pair of teenagers. In spite of their considerable differences, he couldn't help but see echoes of himself and Ran in them- and it was enough to bring a hint of a fond smile to his face. A high school detective, huh. "I understand, Hattori-kun. While it is a dangerous case, I'd rather have you working by my side rather than working on your own exactly for that reason. If you agree to listen to my warnings, I would be more than happy to take up this job, since I was planning on looking into the matter myself."

Just as quickly as Heiji had gotten angry, a sense of excitement washed through him, his blue eyes all but lighting up, bringing a bright grin to his face with it. Were all teenagers this emotional, Shinichi wondered, or was it just him?

"Oh, that's great, Kudo!" Heiji beamed widely, the older detective across from him unable to help but notice that he'd all but dropped the honorific he'd been using up until that point. "In that case, I look forward ta workin' with ya!"

Sticking out his hand and waiting for the detective to take it, Shinichi couldn't help but respond in kind with a small smile of his own. Heiji's moods were somewhat infectious, he noted, as he reached over and took his hand in his own, giving it a firm shake. He had quite the grip, he noticed- though judging from the calluses on his hand, he could hazard a guess as to why.

"Do you practice kendo, by any chance?" Shinichi asked.

"I do!" Unable to help but let his smile grow at the question, Heiji didn't look caught off guard by the question at all- but he did look a little bit impressed. "I'm the captain of my high school's team, in fact! Ah, an' Kazuha over here is the captain of our aikido team."

"Heiji's even beaten the Osakan police kendo team before." Kazuha noted lightly, unable to deny the swell of pride that she felt in her chest in regards to her friend. Well, granted, he hadn't done all that well in his last kendo tournament- but he'd basically had no choice but to forfeit that match. If they'd taken off his gear at that time and discovered that he cut his opponent has given him was leaking black blood, everything would have been over.

"Really?" Blinking a little, Shinichi turned his eyes back towards Heiji, now looking impressed in his own right. "I've heard they're pretty tough. That's nothing to sneeze at."

"Well, ya ain't so bad yerself, Kazuha!" Heiji quickly decided to add, beaming over at his friend. "Ya've got the makings of a national champion in ya, after all!"

"No, no, I've still got a long ways ta go." Waving a hand, a rather modest expression on her face, Kazuha turned back towards Shinichi with a slight smile. "Speakin' of national champions though, isn't yer wife the current national karate champion?"

"She sure is." With a nod of his head, Shinichi's gaze flickered towards one of the photographs of Ran that he'd decorated his office with- this one featuring her receiving said honor in the first place. "I'd offer to have you meet her, but unfortunately, she left just this morning with one of our mutual friends to go on a hot springs trip. Well, this investigation might take some time yet, so if I have a chance, I can introduce her to you if you'd like, Toyama-san."

Ran would probably be thrilled to meet her, all things considered. She was always fond of speaking to her fellow martial artists, even if their disciplines were different. All the more so if they were younger than her. And judging from Kazuha's reaction to his promise, she seemed pretty excited as well.

"That would be wonderful! Did ya hear that, Heiji? I might get ta meet Ran-san!" Turning to her childhood friend, she gave him a bright smile- one that Shinichi couldn't help but notice brought a slight flush to Heiji's face.

 _Oh-ho_? Perhaps this one had more in common with his teenage self that Shinichi had previously suspected. That was rather amusing to note.

"If you two don't mind me asking, how long have you known each other?" Shinichi asked.

"Ah, since we were pretty much in diapers." Kazuha told him, glancing back over towards the man. "One way or another, I've been stuck with this idiot ever since I was born."

"Rather, I'm the one whose stuck with you, _idiot_." Heiji's retort was light and teasing, and not very convincing, seeing as he couldn't keep his grin off of his face. "I heard you an' yer wife were childhood friends too, though."

"Ah, that's true." Shinichi said, giving him a quick nod of his head. "Although we only met in preschool. But you sure seem to know a lot about me, Hattori-kun."

"That's because he admires you." Kazuha spoke up, a sly grin crossing her face, even as Heiji's face heated up once more- it didn't quite turn a bright red, a fact which Shinichi couldn't help but note, even as he watched the boy sputter out his next words.

" _Idiot_ , I don't admire him!" Heiji protested. "If anythin', he's the guy I have ta beat!"

"Ya say that, but wasn't it Kudo-han who inspired you to become a detective in the first place?" Kazuha asked, laughing to herself all the more.

"I don't remember anythin' like that!" Heiji huffed, folding his arms in front of his chest, glancing away from her. "Ya can just forget anythin' this girl says, Kudo! She spits out weird stuff like that from time to time!"

"Oh, is that so?" Shinichi asked, not bothering to say that Heiji's reactions had completely given away the fact that he was lying. He was a bit interesting, this boy, he couldn't help but think, laughing to himself a little as he listened to the pair continue to banter. If anything, he felt kind of bad for thinking he was a devil earlier- even if it did still bother him a little.

He'd find a chance to bring the matter up to Heiji in private in the near future, because it was a topic that he wanted to pursue- just perhaps, not with his childhood friend around. If the high school detective really was having any troubles relating to devils himself, then Shinichi wanted to try and lend him a hand, and do what he could for him.

Dealing with devils was, after all, just part of his job.

* * *

That said, he still wasn't quite certain how the two of them had ended up in his house. It was probably for the best that Ran was away now, he didn't want to trouble her by making her cook for two extra people without much warning.

Once they'd gotten on the subject of the Wish Fulfillment Foundation itself, time had passed before they were even aware of it. Heiji had told him everything that girl from the volleyball team had told him, and had passed along what information he knew about the Foundation- which wasn't much, really, but it wasn't as if Shinichi could say the same at the moment. He'd brought the pair of teenagers to visit the culprit from his previous case, while he questioned him more in depth about the card, and what he had said when he was being carted away by the police the other day meant.

He really didn't seem to remember anything. The girls involved in the volleyball case were all the same way- before coming here, Heiji had taken the time to question each and everyone of them. It was likely that their memories had been erased- and fingering the business card in his hand, he couldn't help but wonder if that was the kind of spell that had previously enchanted the card.

At quick tempered as Heiji had shown himself to be earlier, Shinichi had to admit he was more than a little impressed by the teenage detective. Just as Megure had said before, he really did show a great deal of promise, and was quite clever- his deductive reasoning wasn't anything to sneeze at. He knew about his father, of course- Hattori Heizo was the head of Osaka's police force, and would often show up on television whenever anything big happened in Osaka. He'd actually had cause to work with him once or twice in the past, and had always been more than a little impressed with the man, who probably rivaled his own father.

Although they might not be alike at all in terms of personality, Shinichi could see where Heiji got his detective ability from. Father and son couldn't be less alike in every other area, however, he couldn't help but note- Heizo had always struck him as stern, stoic man, the silent type who only really spoke when something needed to be said. Heiji, on the other hand, was a bundle of emotion, quick to grin and quick to get angry, and the only time he stopped talking seemed to be when he was lost in thought.

He didn't know that much about his mother, however. Hattori Shizuka tended to be a bit reclusive when it came to the public eye.

It was only at the very end of the day that Heiji finally switched his baseball cap back around, so that the brim of his hat faced backwards. Kazuha had leaned over and told Shinichi that was Heiji's 'switch'- and that whenever the cap faced forwards, he was concentrating largely on whatever case was at hand. Kazuha herself seemed as if she was more than used to Heiji dragging her around from crime scene to crime scene- in that sense, she really did remind him of Ran, though she seemed the type to make her displeasure known much faster than his own wife.

Realizing that it was already quite late when they had finished their initial information gathering, Shinichi had asked the pair if they wanted to spend the night at his own place. After a brief moment of hesitation, the pair exchanging a look between the other, they had eventually agreed to it.

And that was how the three of them found themselves at the Kudo manor that evening. In the back of his mind, Shinichi found himself noting that Heiji passed through the even heavier wards that he had placed around his home without really any difficulty. Or not too much, at least, he thought, noticing the way his hand briefly strayed up towards his chest as he passed through the barrier, seeming to hold onto something hidden by his shirt. Judging from the purple string it hung from, and the similar one that was worn around Kazuha's neck, he could only assume that the pair of them likely had matching charms.

There was probably something of a story behind that, he hazarded a guess.

The more time he spent with him, the more Shinichi was almost certain that Hattori Heiji couldn't possibly be related to the devil that he'd met the other night. There were too many inconsistencies for that to be the case- but even so, for some reason, Shinichi couldn't quite put the doubts that still lingered in the back of his head to rest. Even though Heiji could pass through barriers meant to keep devils out, and even though he gave off no trace of an aura, there were still things- little things about him that Shinichi couldn't help but take notice of.

The odd color of his flushed cheeks. The somewhat unique sharpness of his canines. That lightning quick, white hot temper of his. His determination to be involved in this case. It wasn't enough for him to suspect that Heiji was anything other than human, but it was enough so that he couldn't quite lay his doubts to rest.

Still, if Heiji was deceiving him, then he was doing an awfully good job of it. Even the trickiest of devils had something of an air of deception to them- something which Heiji completely lacked. The stories that Kazuha regaled Shinichi with about Heiji's childhood and previous cases, were more than proof enough to him that his claims of growing up around her were completely true- he didn't sense that any part of her memory has been fabricated, that she'd been brought along as a prop to prove his humanity, knowing that most would not doubt the words of a priestess, even one in training.

There was the slight possibility that he might be possessed, but if that were the case, then the devil that was residing inside of him was allowing him to have an awful lot of free will. If it was the devil from last night, then it was possible that they might have something of a symbiotic relationship- he could understand what might be in it for the devil, but he wasn't certain why Heiji himself would have made such a pact.

Still, that devil from the other night... it didn't quite give off the same remorseful impression that he got from Ai, but he couldn't quite think of it as an evil creature. Whatever the case, if Heiji and that devil were related in some fashion, at the very least, he'd be willing to hear out whatever explanation that they might have.

"Oi, earth ta Kudo."

"Ah, sorry, Hattori." Blinking a little, Shinichi snapped out of his own thoughts, realizing that the Osakan detective had been calling him for some time now. Before he realized it, he'd found himself dropping the honorific from his own name as well. "What is it?"

"I was just askin' where yer bathroom was. Kazuha looks like she's about to tank out over there." Glancing back towards her, Kazuha let out a rather timely yawn, slowly blinking her eyes.

"Ah, it's upstairs, the first door to the right." Shinichi told him, watching as Kazuha thanked him with a small nod, making her way up there. He'd already showed them to a pair of rooms where they could sleep a bit earlier, and had given them each of pajamas that they could borrow- digging some up from Ran's wardrobe to give to Kazuha.

Once she was upstairs, and Shinichi heard the sound of the door closing behind her, he turned towards Heiji, frowning slightly at him. It was the first time he'd been alone with him all day, now that he thought about it- and now was as good a time to ask as any.

"If you don't me asking, Hattori, can I inquire as to why this case is so personal to you?" Shinichi spoke up, carefully gauging the young man's reaction to his question. "I know you said earlier that you'd rather not discuss it, but..."

Casting an eye towards him, Heiji heaved a long sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. He had a feeling that he'd asked something like this eventually. Although it appeared that Shinichi had seemed to accept that he was human without much trouble, he didn't doubt that he might still have some doubts of his own in regards towards him. And on some level, he couldn't help but wonder if it would be alright to tell him the full truth, but even so...

He could still remember the sound of pouring rain, and the sound of his voice, much younger, saying that he hadn't done anything wrong, over and over again, his pleas falling on deaf ears.

"I've got some issues with devils, that's all." Heiji said, turning away from the older detective, not wanting to meet his eyes. "I feel like workin' this case might resolve at least a few of them."

"Issues?" Shinichi blinked, unable to help but grow curious.

"Well, things like this, fer starters." With a quirk of his hand, Heiji lifted up the back of his shirt- and Shinichi had to suck in his teeth at the sight of what lay underneath it. It was as if someone's hands had raked straight across his back, leaving a trail of scars across it- ones that had left a glittering, almost silvery trail in their wake, as if they'd brought a frozen touch the injuries that they had caused.

"Yukionna, back in middle school." Heiji told him, dropping his shirt. He'd made sure not to lift it up high enough so that Shinichi could see the scars around his shoulder blades- from back when his wings had first grown in. He also made sure not to show him the scars from his front- the bullet wound wasn't of much concern as were the marks that had been left behind by an exorcist's chains. "I was lookin' into a case when I got caught up with her."

"That's awful." Shinichi couldn't help but say, a look of visible concern crossing his face even as Heiji turned back around, flashing him a wide grin, acting as if the scars were no big deal. "But I think I can understand what you mean by issues, Hattori."

"Right?" Tilting his head a little, Heiji folded his arms in front of his chest. Maybe it was because of his human blood, but other devils that he ran into in the past didn't seem all that fond of him. If he was lucky, they'd just hurl obscenities at him- and if he wasn't, they'd usually attack him on sight. He might be straddling two worlds, but past events had made it implicitly clear to him that he didn't quite belong in either one.

Well, even if he didn't quite belong in the world of humans at large, he'd nevertheless made himself a small space in which he _did_ belong- in his home, with his parents, and by Kazuha's side. And he didn't want to lose it.

"That's why it's personal ta me, Kudo. If there's really a group of devils runnin' around tryin' ta do somethin' where they think no one's watchin', then there's no way I can turn a blind eye ta it, or just let someone else handle it. It has be me, or it's no good." Briefly locking eyes with Shinichi, Heiji couldn't help but give him a slightly knowing grin. "It's the same way with ya, isn't it?"

"Yeah." After a moment, Shinichi closed his eyes, giving the younger detective a nod of his head. "It's the same."


	3. White Horns and Black Blood

AN: And here's chapter three! Thanks for all the support for this story thus far, everyone, I really appreciate it! Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter this time around, and thank you for reading! Please do leave a review if you can!

* * *

 **Devils Bleed Black**

 **Chapter Three**

 **White Horns and Black Blood  
**

* * *

"Eh? Ya wanna come back ta Osaka with us?"

"Is that a problem?" Shinichi asked, blinking slightly at the startled reaction of the two teenagers. As the pair exchanged a look with each other, they both slowly shook her their heads.

"No, it's not a problem." Kazuha told him with a smile. "If ya need a place ta spend the night, yer more than welcome to sleep over at my place, Kudo-han."

Because there was _no way_ they could let him spend the night at Heiji's place, and there was _no way_ they could let him meet Heiji's mother. After living like a human for a number of years, she'd begun to blend in with them far better than any other devil, but someone like Shinichi would probably still be able to pick up on the faint traces of twisted aura that she gave off still. They _were_ trying to convince Shinichi that Heiji was perfectly human, after all, so the last thing that they wanted to do was given him any cause to deepen any doubts that he might have.

They'd both discussed it in hushed whispers last night, in the room that Shinichi had leant to Heiji. They both sensed that he doubted some things- but also felt that for the most part, they had him convinced that Heiji was just a normal person. His speech back at the detective agency had been proof enough of that. Although Kazuha had lectured Heiji when she learned that he'd shown him the scars that had been left behind by that yukionna, she nevertheless agreed that 'having a grudge against devils' was a pretty good explanation as to why he felt this investigation was so personal.

It wasn't technically a lie, after all.

"Thank you, Kazuha-san. But hopefully it shouldn't come to that. I _would_ like to be here to greet my wife when she gets back from her trip tomorrow, after all." Shinichi told her with a small smile. "But the two of you are welcome to stay at our place for as long as you like. Once I discuss it with Ran first, of course, but I can't imagine that she would say no."

This had been something that they had discussed- with summer holidays coming up, that Heiji and Kazuha would come to stay in Tokyo while they looked into the matter of the Wish Fulfillment Foundation. It would be easier to work together if they were in the same place, after all. Of course, first they would have to return home and speak to their parents about the matter, as well as more properly pack their bags for such an extended stay. They'd both seemed to be slightly apprehensive about the idea at first, though Shinichi couldn't quite understand why- before they had finally agreed.

"Sounds great, Kudo!" Heiji told him, flashing him that broad grin of his. Vaguely, Shinichi couldn't help but wonder if he'd ever gotten picked on as a kid due to those abnormally sharp canines of his- that was the sort of unusual trait that kids would pick at, he thought to himself. "We'll take ya up on that offer, since yer so kind as ta offer it to us! It'd be mighty hard ta find a good hotel room fer the two of us, after all!"

Well, not really _that_ hard, Heiji thought to himself, taking a sip of his coffee. He didn't use it often, at least not _knowingly_ , but it wasn't exactly as if he _lacked_ a devil's natural charm. He was willing to bet he could convince just about any hotel manager in the area to give the two of them a really nice suite for the low, low price of free, but that was _exactly_ the sort of thing that called attention to oneself. There had been a time while in Gunma that they had nearly gotten busted over just that- honestly, how did a guy like that even make it to being an Inspector in the first place?

"We'll do our best not to trouble the two of you." Kazuha promised him, even as her eyes glittered at the prospect of being able to live with the living martial arts legend that was Mouri Ran. Although she supposed it was in fact _Kudo_ Ran now, given that she'd married Shinichi not that long ago. It was funny to think that the two people that she and Heiji admired had ended up getting married to each other. And deep down, she also knew that Heiji was excited to be able to live under the same roof as his own idol- although he was also nervous about it as well.

Maybe charming a hotel manager wouldn't be such a bad idea, Kazuha thought for a moment- before she quickly put it out of her mind. No, no. As nice as it was to stay in really nice hotels, in really nice rooms, for free, that wasn't something that the two of them could do on a regular basis.

"It'll be no trouble at all." Shinichi was quick to reassure her, his gaze briefly flickering over towards Heiji. Between the two of them, the one who was more likely to get himself into trouble was Heiji. Even if she was only in training, the fact that Kazuha was a priestess meant that she could ward herself well enough, so he didn't have to worry about her as much. If Heiji was living underneath the same roof as him, then Shinichi would be able to keep an eye on him better, to make sure that he stayed out of trouble as much as possible- as well as staying out of harm's way.

And to think he'd promised Ran that he wouldn't get into any trouble at work while she was gone- and he'd gone and done just that. Well, it wasn't as if it were the first time such a thing had happened, and he knew that she would forgive him. Still, an apology, he thought, would be in order.

"What do the two of you do when you normally travel, by the way?" Shinichi asked, glancing between the two of them. "I read up on some of the cases you've solved last night, Hattori. I'll admit, I'm impressed."

It wasn't a lie, either. Just as he thought, it seemed that the high school detective was in fact, rather quick-witted and clever indeed. Were they both the same age, Shinichi didn't doubt that the two of them would be rivals- friendly ones, he hoped, having taken a liking to the teen, in spite of his assorted oddities- and in spite of that strange devil doppelganger that seemed to wear his face. He hadn't yet gotten a chance to ask Heiji about that- he'd missed his chance to last night, after Heiji had shown him those scars. He hadn't gotten the chance to inquire any further as to how he'd gotten them in the first place either, for that matter.

Ah, but there it was again- that not quite red tint to Heiji's cheeks, as he tried to act like he wasn't flustered by the praise. "W-well, of course! After all, I'm the person who's gonna surpass ya one day, Kudo!" Folding his arms in front of his chest and giving the older detective a nod of his head, Heiji spared a brief glance over towards Kazuha before he continued. "But ta answer yer question, usually we stay over at the house of the person who hired me, or we stay at a hotel."

"But why do ya wanna come ta Osaka with us in the first place?" Heiji asked, quickly changing the topic.

"I'd like to ask some questions of people myself." Shinichi told him honestly. He'd done a fair bit of investigating the other day when he'd gone there chasing the lead the guild had given him, but he still wasn't satisfied that he'd overturned every stone. Going back certainly wouldn't hurt, especially if they were going to be making Beika their base of operations. "I wouldn't be a bother, would I?"

"No, not at all." Kazuha told him, shaking her head. "I've already said as much. Yer more than welcome ta come back with us. Ya've already let us spend the night at yer house, an' even gave us dinner an' breakfast on top of that. On top of that, yer inviting us ta live at yer place with ya fer at least a month, which is a huge help."

"Ran would lecture me if I let anyone stay in the house without feeding them as well. Though I admit, cooking's not _exactly_ my forte." Shinichi confessed with a slight laugh. He'd been even worse when he was their age- it was watching Ran work every night to make dinner for himself and Kogoro when he'd lived with her that had made Shinichi want to at least learn how to cook halfway decently for himself, so that he didn't have to put the burden of all of their meals on Ran.

"Well, it's better than Heiji's, at least." Kazuha said simply.

"I'll admit ta that." Heiji said after a moment, giving her a shrug.

Letting out the slightest of chuckles as he watched the two childhood friends descend into a discussion, heedless of the young man that sat with them, he couldn't help but feel that come what may, his sometimes lonely home would become far livelier in the coming weeks. Whatever the truth was that Hattori Heiji was hiding- and he suspected that there was something that the young man was hiding from him, with the aid of his childhood friend, given all the looks they shared between them, he didn't have any reason to doubt that he was anything less than the earnest young man that he'd presented himself as.

But still, as much as he wanted to get to the bottom of the mystery behind the Wish Fulfillment Foundation, he wanted to get to the bottom of the mystery behind this generation's current high school detective all the more.

* * *

"Well, Heiji an' I are gonna head on back to our places, Kudo-han." Kazuha spoke up, catching his attention. He'd been mentally sorting through what he needed to do almost as soon as he had stepped off the train, and almost hadn't heard the girl call out to him at first. Judging from the look on her face, he suspected that this sort of zoning out was something she was already accustomed to- probably thanks in no small part to Heiji. "Ya did remember to record our phone numbers, right?"

"I did." With a nod of his head, Shinichi patted the pocket in which his cellphone resided. "If something comes up, I'll give one of you a call."

"Don't get lost now." Heiji told him, flashing him a broad grin. "Well, if ya do, just give me a call, Kudo. I know these streets like the back of my hand."

"I can assure you, I won't get lost. This isn't my first time in Osaka." Shinichi noted, a slightly wry grin surfacing on his face. He wasn't certain how to feel being told that by someone five years younger than him, even though Heiji was probably just teasing him. "But do give me a call if anything comes up on your end as well, Hattori, Kazuha-san."

"We will." Kazuha was quick to promise him, before she looped her arm around Heiji's- at first glance, it almost seemed to be a cute gesture, before she followed it up by using said linked arms to literally drag her childhood friend away. "Come on, let's go, Heiji. I bet ya didn't even call yer mom last night ta let her know ya were stayin' over somewhere."

"Ah, now that ya mention it..." Heiji trailed off, scratching his cheek as he more or less allowed himself to be dragged off by Kazuha, pausing only to wave a hand towards Shinichi. "Then, I'll see ya later, Kudo! We'll meet back up at yer place tomorrow!"

Unable to help but chuckle a little again as he watched Heiji finally get to his own feet, walking in pace with Kazuha, he shook his head. That girl really _did_ remind him of Ran in a number of ways- there was no doubt that his wife was going to love her. He couldn't imagine that she'd protest too much to the two of them picking up a pair of freeloaders for awhile- he couldn't imagine her disliking either one of the pair, really. That was the sort of person she was, after all, and it was part of why he'd fallen in love with her in the first place.

Besides, it wasn't as if she was any stranger to freeloaders, even if the freeloader she'd dealt with in the past had been none other than himself. The fact that he'd been shrunken down into a child was something that was kept top secret even to this day- outside of the people who already knew, Ran was really the only person he had ever told about the connection between Kudo Shinichi and Edogawa Conan after the fact. Whatever it was that Heiji had learned about him through Kazuha's priestess ties, it hadn't included that, and he couldn't help but be more than a little grateful for it.

Given what he'd come to understand about the high school detective's personality, he was _pretty sure_ that his response to this information would have involved endless teasing, heedless of the fact that Shinichi was the older of the pair. There definitely was a playful, mischievous streak within Heiji, just from the sound of Kazuha's stories alone, something that had been there ever since he was a child. He must have been quite the handful as a child- and probably was _still_ a handful now, from the sound of it, given that he'd apparently not even let his parents know that he was spending the night somewhere.

Speaking of parents though...

Pulling out his cellphone as he made his way out of the station, he quickly made a call to his own. There were some questions that he wanted to ask her that she might know the answers to, and given that she had been working as an exorcist for far longer than he, it was worth seeing if she knew anything about this Wish Fulfillment Foundation.

Not to mention anything about white horned devils.

"Oh, Shin-chan!" Yukiko's voice seemed to perk right up as she answered the call. Briefly, Shinichi couldn't help but wonder what time it was where she was right now- but regardless of whatever time it might be, she seemed quite happy to get his call. Even now, the two of them didn't always see each other that often. The last time had been for the wedding, he recalled. "It's rare for you to be the one to call me. Is something up?"

"You could say that." Shinichi said. "It seems that I'm going to be working on a big case soon, and it's something that might also involve my _other_ line of work as well."

"You didn't get turned back into a child again, did you?" Yukiko asked- and although there was a note of concern in her voice, he definitely didn't miss the hint of eagerness in it as well. In spite of the fact that it had been a rather serious situation, it appeared that his mother had enjoyed his brief return to childhood, perhaps far more than anyone else involved. "Don't tell me it's something like _that_ Organization again?"

"Do I _sound_ like I'm a child?" Shinichi couldn't help but grumble, before heaving a long sigh. "It's too early to say anything for certain, but it's certainly somewhat similar. Have you ever heard of anything called the Wish Fulfillment Foundation, mom?"

"The Wish Fulfillment Foundation?" Yukiko asked, her frown almost audible over the phone. "No, I've never heard of anything like that. I can ask around, however. It certainly sounds a bit shady, from the name alone."

"Thanks, mom. I'd appreciate it. Well, hopefully they haven't extended their reach beyond Japan yet, but it appears that whatever they are, they're active in both Tokyo and Osaka, at the very least." Shinichi told her, his brows furrowing together. "Ah, but there was also one other thing that I wanted to ask you, mom."

"Hm? What, what?" Yukiko asked. "You know that I'll help you out any way I can, Shin-chan!"

"Have you ever heard of a devil having both white horns and white wings before?" Shinichi asked her.

"White?" Yukiko's confusion was clear in her tone. "I've never heard of anything like that before, Shin-chan. Well, it's true that even devils can be subject to albinism, but from the way you asked about it, I don't think that's what you're calling about. I can look into the guild's files though, if you want."

"Please do." Shinichi told her with a nod of his head. "It should be active in the Osaka area, if there are any guild reports about it. And no, it's definitely not albino. Aside from it's horns and wings, it was rather dark- both hair, tail, and skin. There's one more troubling thing about it," Shinichi began, deciding to leave out the part where the devil had seen through his identity. "...it had a mask. One of ours."

"Are you sure, Shin-chan?" Yukiko asked. "That's not something that a devil would have been able to acquire easily. They don't even _work_ for people that they aren't made for."

"I'm sure." Shinichi said, heaving a long sigh. "That said, I don't think it's a dangerous devil. It was chasing a gremlin, and handed it right over to me when I asked for it, nor did it make any aggressive motions towards me whatsoever. Whatever this devil was, it's looking into the same thing as me, so perhaps what this Foundation is doing is causing a stir in their world as well. He even went on so far as to say that he was on my side."

"So there's more devils out there like Ai-chan?" Yukiko asked, a slight frown to her voice. "I'd still advise you to be careful, Shin-chan. Ai-chan aside, it's rare for a devil to really get along well with humans. Even if I _do_ find the fact that it has white horns to be rather interesting. I've never even heard of such... ah, hold on, one moment." She remarked- and even over the phone, Shinichi could almost hear the sound of his mother's eyes lighting up. "Ah, here we go! There is one, a report about a white horned devil."

"Really?" Shinichi asked, perking up right away. "There was nothing when I checked the reports myself, though. Maybe I don't have the right clearance level?"

"Most likely." Yukiko told him, scanning the information herself. She had a higher clearance level than her son, after all. Even if he had brought down a dangerous organization of devils, he done any number of things in the process that had raised red flags within the guild while doing so. If they knew he was sheltering a devil girl, they'd probably expel him entirely. "I'll make a copy and send it to you, Shin-chan, but here's what I can tell you right off the bat. How old was the devil you encountered, before I get into that?"

"Hm, he looked like he was a teenager, maybe. With the mask, it was hard to tell." Shinichi told her with a slight frown. "Maybe around seventeen or sixteen?"

"The one in the report looked around nine or eight years old. Of course, this report was filed eight years ago." Yukiko told him. "If it's the same one, which I don't doubt that it is, it might be a rather young devil. There's no photos, but like you mentioned, it's been described as having dark skin and dark hair as well. But this report... no wonder it's not on your clearance level, Shin-chan. It's pretty strange."

"Strange?" Shinichi asked, that catching his interest right away.

"Yeah." Yukiko said, nodding her head. "Apparently they came across the devil by chance. The behavior described in the report is rather... atypical of a devil, I'll say that much. It sounds more like they were bullying a child, than sealing away a dangerous devil. It kept saying over and over again that it wasn't doing anything bad, while crying. Well, something like that could still be an act, but given that it didn't appear to make any kind of offensive movements towards the exorcists... it's definitely strange."

 _"I'm not up ta anythin' bad, if that's what ya think, Mister Exorcist."_  
 _"Like I said, I'm not up ta anythin' bad!"_

"That definitely sounds like the same one I met, then." Shinichi told her, unable to narrow his eyes as the devil's words rang out in his head. As he thought back on them, he couldn't help but once again mentally connect it's voice with that of Heiji's- they really _did_ sound alike, right down to the accent. "What happened to it, this devil? Obviously if it's the same one, they didn't manage to seal it, but..."

"It got away, apparently." Yukiko said. "The exorcists at the scene reported that it put up an unusual amount of resistance to their usual methods, and that they weren't able to contain it in the end. After that, there's no more reports about it anywhere. Should I file one on your behalf, Shin-chan?"

"No, I wouldn't." Shinichi told her after a moment of thought, shaking his head. "And don't ask around about it either. I get the feeling that _something_ is going on here that the guild as a whole wouldn't like. This has to be a secret between us, just like Ai-chan, at least for now. If it's true that this devil is on our side, and is trying to help, then I don't want to put him in danger, especially if he's actually as young as he looks."

All the more so if he really _did_ have any connection to Heiji, which he was starting to suspect that he might. What that connection might be however, was the real mystery here.

"I got it!" With a bright chirp returning to her voice, Yukiko couldn't help but beam. "But Shin-chan, do remember to be careful. Whatever you're about to dive into sounds like it could be dangerous."

"Don't worry, mom. I promise I'll be careful." With that said, Shinichi exchanged goodbyes with her, and hung up, tucking his cellphone back away. He'd decided against bringing up anything about Heiji with her for the moment- the last thing he wanted to do was risk triggering a formal inquiry into the teen. Something like that could utterly destroy his life, and that was hardly anything Shinichi wished upon him. Besides that, Heiji had done absolutely nothing to warrant such action in the first place, save for being a little odd.

Still, if that devil had been around nine years old eight years ago, then it would match right up with Heiji's current age now. With a slight frown, Shinichi put a hand to his chin, unable to help but dwell on that for a moment. If this really _was_ the case of a devil doppelganger, then it had been wearing Heiji's face for quite some time- and something about that explanation somehow no longer sat right with him. If it was true that he had been possessed at some point, then he would have been possessed for the past eight years, at the very least. That was an awfully long time for such a thing. If that were the case, then it was possible that the Hattori Heiji of today might not be the same person as he had been when he'd started life.

No, no, it was too early to come to _that_ sort of conclusion. Again, Heiji seemed like a perfectly nice, if not temperamental, young man.

And the fact remained that Heiji nevertheless passed through barriers meant to keep devils out with ease, and gave off no aura. There was no mistake that the devil from last night did have one- that was what had drawn Shinichi to him in the first place. Something clearly didn't add up. So what on earth was going on here?

And there was the way that his mother had described the one record on file that caught his interest as well. He'd have to read it himself to judge it fully, but the wording she had chosen was more than enough to supplement his theory that this white horned devil might actually be an ally.

"Bullying a child, huh...?"

* * *

"Where exactly have you been, Heiji?"

Nearly jumping out of his skin at the sound of his mother's voice, Heiji let a long sigh escape from him, as he slowly turned back to face her. Quickly flashing her the best grin that he had, he gave what he knew as a slightly nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ah well, ya know. I got a bit sidetracked on a case, an' all, so I forgot ta call ya. Sorry, sorry, mom, it won't happen again."

"You say that every time." Shizuka flatly observed, before heaving a long sigh of her own. Honestly, this boy. Sometimes she wondered where he'd gotten this impulsive nature of his from, because it certainly wasn't from her. "And every time you forget. You're lucky you had Kazuha with you this time. Her mother called me."

"Then, if her mother called ya, why did ya need ta ask me where I've been?" Heiji asked, quirking a brow. "Besides, I _did_ tell ya I was goin' ta Tokyo fer a case, didn't I? It's not like I left without sayin' anythin'."

"You _failed_ to mention that the one you were going to go visit was that exorcist detective, Kudo Shinichi." Shizuka noted, locking eyes with her son- who quickly tried to look anywhere but her sharp gaze. He didn't know if it was because she was a devil, or if it was just because she was a mother, or perhaps both, but she had _one hell_ of a piercing stare. "Kazuha told her mother everything, and her mother told me everything. What were you thinking, Heiji? You could have been putting yourself in danger?"

"But I'm fine, right? I mean, Kazuha's mom is a priestess, but she doesn't so much as bat an eye at us." Heiji pointed out, tilting his head slightly to the side. "That Kudo guy didn't notice anythin' anyways. He even argued against me gettin' myself involved in the case on account of bein' a _normal human_." He couldn't help but snort at that statement, shaking his head at the sheer absurdity of it. "Besides, if I want ta look into this thing properly, the fact remains that I'm gonna need help from _some_ kinda exorcist, seein' as I can't use magic on my own."

"But still, Heiji." Shizuka began, placing her hands on her hips, her eyes narrowing with concern. It was true enough that her son couldn't use magic- that was the result of being composed of two opposing forces, it seemed. Be it human spells or a devil's magic, he couldn't use either one. "An exorcist is still an exorcist. Don't tell me you've forgotten how dangerous they can be?"

"How could I ever forget somethin' like that?" Heiji asked her, his gaze flickering away from his mother once more. It had been his fault really, for dashing out like that in the middle of the night, without even bothering to conceal himself- but after what he'd overheard his parents saying, he hadn't been thinking straight. What kind of child would? And besides, how was he supposed to know that he'd wind up running straight into a pair of exorcists? It wasn't as if he'd sought them out himself.

"Kudo's different. Like Kazuha an' her mom." Heiji told her frankly. "That's what my intuition is sayin', at least. 'Sides, we already agreed ta work with each other, it would look even weirder if I suddenly pulled out now."

Reaching up to rub her forehead, Shizuka gave her son a considering look. Honestly, she didn't want Heiji involved in this case _at all_ \- he'd described it to her the other day, asking if she knew anything. Of course she didn't- ever since she'd married a human and had given birth to a child with him, she'd been reviled amongst devils, viewed as a traitor. Many of them didn't want anything to do with her, her name whispered with malicious intent in any number of circles, so she really didn't know anything that was going on among them. Still, she didn't miss the sense of danger that this case brought with it, and she couldn't help but fear that her son would get tangled up in it.

As proud as she was of her son's accomplishments as a detective, she couldn't help but wish that he'd never become one in the first place sometimes. All she wanted for him was for him to live a normal human life, rousing as little suspicion as possible. But it seemed like he was running into danger every time she looked, and there was hardly anything that she could do to stop him. One of these days, she was afraid that Heiji was going to get himself badly hurt, and expose himself- he'd already come too close to that during that serial murder case not so long ago, when he'd gotten himself shot.

If the shirt he'd been wearing that day wasn't already black, then... Shizuka shuddered to think what could have happened. If one of the police officers that swarmed the place had taken notice that the high school detective that they had come to praise and trust was bleeding not red, but black blood- or if he'd been loaded into an ambulance, and the emergency responders had noticed this. There were so many things that could have gone wrong in that situation. Thankfully Otaki and Kazuha's father alike had been there at the time, so things had managed to work out, but still... it could have gone so, so wrong.

And she knew that Heiji knew it as well. It was the look in his eyes she had seen, clear as day even from the distance, when he'd gotten hurt in that kendo tournament not long after. The way he'd turned his gaze up towards the stands when the waiting doctor had started to approach him, asking him to take off his headgear, she knew right away that there was an expression in her son's eyes that she wasn't accustomed to seeing in them- fear. When he'd quickly forfeited the match, even though it had cost his school the championship, she knew right away what had happened, what he was thinking. In spite of his natural easygoing, cheerful nature, he knew too well what would happen if people found out what he was.

Still, to think that he'd gotten himself shot trying to keep the culprit of that case from killing himself- and yet somehow, he _still_ didn't seem to be convinced of his own inherent goodness.

"Are you _certain_ he's different?" Shizuka asked finally, reaching out and cupping her son's face in her hands. At some point, he'd started to get taller than her- it felt like it was still yesterday when she could still see the top of his head. He was starting to grow into a splendid young man, but he still had a few years to go before he could become a proper adult. "I don't want to send my precious son to work off with some strange exorcist who could hurt him."

In spite of everything, Shizuka was more proud of him than she could ever say. He was a wonderful boy, her son, and she felt as if she loved him more with every passing day. Even if the world turned against him, she never would. Perhaps, she thought to herself, if her son's instincts were on the mark, it would be a good thing to have an exorcist that they could trust with her son's secret. Surely there must be one out there that was willing to embrace such a thing.

"I'm sure, I'm sure." Heiji was quick to reassure her, carefully removing his mother's hands from his face. Honestly, she was so clingy sometimes. "Don't worry about a thing, mom. I have a good feelin' about him!"

"If you're certain, Heiji, then I won't stop you." Shizuka told him, giving her son a small smile. "Ah, by the way, where will you and Kazuha be staying when you're in Tokyo? I know a good hotel there with a rather weak minded manager if you're looking for a place. It's been awhile since I've been to Tokyo myself, but I'm _pretty sure_ he still owns the hotel."

"Ah, it's fine, it's fine." With a wave of his hand, Heiji quickly made his way down towards his room. "There's no need fer that sort of thing this time around. Kudo offered to let us stay at his place."

"...come again?"

* * *

Just as he thought, a second inquiry of the girls who had been possessed by the gremlins had turned up no new information. He'd approached the volleyball team as a whole this time, rather than just the four, introducing himself as a detective, as opposed to an exorcist. After discussing the matter with all of the girls, they had all agreed that they didn't know anything about the matter- and he believed that they were telling the truth. When asked, the four girls who had been possessed cited that there was a blank space in their memory- which seemed to start from a time _before_ they had been possessed, he guessed.

Their memories had clearly been wiped. While such a spell was possible, it was pretty high level, even for a devil, so whatever they were dealing with here was far from a small fry. He'd suspected as much however. When asked if they'd noticed anyone suspicious lingering around them after the fact, they had all shook their heads and told him no.

And then, half curious, he'd briefly asked them if they'd already been asked all of these questions by a Hattori Heiji- to which they quickly replied that they had. One of them had piped up and told him that he used to attend their middle school, and was a bit famous around it- both for being a detective, and being a notorious troublemaker. With a quick smile to reassure them that he was just curious about the high school detective he'd heard had been involved in the case, Shinichi hurriedly excused himself.

Well, it wasn't as if he'd expected to turn up anything new, but asking again never hurt. With some spells that erased memories, asking enough about the forgotten memories could sometimes result in them slowly coming back to the victim- but it didn't appear that this was the case here. Whoever was behind this was covering their tracks well, knowing that it wouldn't be long before people began to look into the matter. How long had they been doing this? How many devils were involved?

And for what reason? There _had_ to be a reason.

Deciding to take a different angle was what found Shinichi at the Osakan police headquarters later that afternoon. He was no stranger to the place- this wasn't the first time he'd come to Osaka to work on a case, after all. Briefly, he wondered if he'd always just been missing Heiji in the past, wondering when he had started getting himself involved in detective work. From the sound of it, it was around middle school, at the very least. Shinichi would probably already have graduated by high school around that time himself. It was strange to think that after working with his father twice in the past, he was finally getting a chance to work with his son- and he couldn't half help but wonder what the man himself thought of it.

"There's nothing?" Shinichi asked, a slight frown gracing his features. He had hoped that maybe the Osakan police would have turned up a business card like the one that had come up during the investigation in Tokyo- but it appeared that he had no luck there. Come to think of it, Heiji probably would have been one of the first to hear about that if that were the case, so maybe this was a lost cause to begin with.

"No, there's nothing." The Inspector who had greeted him, a tall man by the name of Otaki Goro, shook his head. "Aside from the recent case, there's been no mention of anything like a Wish Fulfillment Foundation, Kudo-han."

"I figured." Heaving a long sigh, Shinichi ran a hand through his hair. "Well, thanks for looking into it for me anyways, Otaki-san. I appreciate it."

"No, it's no trouble at all. You've helped out our department twice in the past after all, so we're more than happy to help you with whatever you need, Kudo-han." Otaki told him.

"Well, thanks nonetheless." Shinichi repeated, before a quick spark lit in his head. "By the way, Otaki-san, since you work with the Osakan police, I'm sure you're familiar with the chief's son, that high school detective, right? Hattori Heiji?"

Blinking rapidly, a vague hint of something briefly surfaced in Otaki's eyes, before he curtly nodded his head, his tone growing more tight. "Yes, I'm quite familiar with Hei-chan. I've known him ever since he was just a boy, in fact. He's been a great help to us himself in the past. Is there something about him?"

"Ah, no." Quickly shaking his head, able to deduce that this man was actually rather close to the high school detective just by his reaction. It had been the same glimmer of something that he'd seen surface from time to time in Kazuha's eyes that had caught his attention- a look of almost protectiveness, if he didn't miss his guess. It appeared that Heiji was a rather well loved person- but why were they turning such looks towards himself? What was it that caused them to feel that they needed to protect Heiji from him? "It's just that it appears that I might end up working on this case with him, that's all."

"Is that true?"

The words weren't spoken by Otaki, but rather, by another man- another man whose voice Shinichi already knew well. Slowly turning on his heel, he came face to face with the very man he had mentioned earlier- the Superintendent Supervisor of Osaka's prefectural police, none other than Hattori Heizo himself.

As always, he gave off something of an intimidating presence. Shinichi had thought that he might get used to it when he was older, but it appeared that wasn't the case after all. Swallowing a little, wondering if he'd done something wrong, Shinichi gave the older man a slow nod. "Ah, yes, that's right. Actually, he's the one who approached me."

Opening one eye, Heizo cast an assessing gaze down towards the young detective- who he knew full well was more than just a mere detective. He'd worked with the youngster in the past, and he had always had a good impression of him, thinking of him as a clever detective, rather quick-witted and smart, filled with promise. Youngsters like him carried this nation's future on their backs, Heizo thought to himself, even though he wasn't quite old enough to dwell on such things yet. He placed a good deal of faith in the one known as Kudo Shinichi, willing to trust him with any kind of case that the two of them might wind up involved in together- which wasn't all that often.

But it was a different matter when it came to his son.

"Did he now?" Heizo asked, his expression unchanging. If his wife had known anything about this, she hadn't mentioned it to him- perhaps it was simply because she didn't want to cause any strife between father and son. If his son was truly going to work with Shinichi, then he was knowingly putting himself in danger by doing so- and Heizo couldn't help but wonder if he let how much he admired the detective in question blind him. "And you accepted his offer?"

"Should I not have?" Shinichi asked, blinking more than a little. Was it possible that Heiji's father didn't exactly approve of his detective exploits? His own father had been more than supportive of him, in his own way, so it hadn't occurred to him that it might not be the case with Heiji's own. "Though, frankly, Hattori-san, I don't think I could convince him to drop the case myself. He seemed fairly determined."

"Yes, I'd imagine he would be." Sparing a glance towards Otaki, silently dismissing him, Heizo soon turned his full attention back towards Shinichi once more. "He's always been the type to refuse to back away from something once he's gotten involved in it. You do, I hope, intend to keep an eye on my son, do you not, Kudo-san? He is still only a mere high school student."

"Yes, I do." Slowly nodding his head, Shinichi had to fight the urge to back away slowly. If there was one thing Heiji hadn't gotten from his father, it was the intimidating presence that his father brought with him. If anything, that friendly, cheerful aura that his son gave off was the exact opposite of his father's. The pair of them really couldn't be more different. "I won't let him get hurt, I can promise you that much, Hattori-san."

"That can be a rather tall order." Heizo observed- and Shinichi breathed easier once he seemed to relax a bit. He still hadn't decided if he trusted the young man just yet, but judging from the fact that he wasn't acting strangely when speaking of his son, he could assume that he hadn't noticed anything about him. He could only hope that it _stayed_ that way, knowing just how perceptive Shinichi was. "Heiji's very much the type who acts first, and thinks about what he does later- if at all."

"So I've heard." Shinichi said with a slight laugh. "But don't worry. He seems rather bright, your son, all things considered. I can see that he gets his deductive abilities from you, sir."

"I suppose he does. He'll be of good use to you, Kudo-san." Heizo observed, allowing a hint of a fond smile to cross his lips. In spite of the fact that he would often lecture Heiji at the drop of a hat for his more impulsive, reckless stunts, he had great faith in his son's capability as a detective. In a few years, especially, he would become a force to reckon with- but he still had some growing to do before then. The fact that he possessed senses beyond that of a normal human certainly gave him something of an edge, but it wasn't that alone that allowed Heiji to become the bright detective he was today.

He also knew that even if he didn't say it in so many words, Heiji was desperate for his father's approval. There was no one he wanted to prove himself to more to than his own father, who he viewed as an untouchable paragon of morality, even if such a thing was wholly unnecessary. His son had no need to prove himself to him. In the first place, _Heizo_ was the one who had knowingly fallen in love with a devil woman, and had asked her to marry him- it was foolish to think that he would think anything less of his son for carrying half of her blood. The two of them had known what they were in for when Shizuka had decided to carry him to term, after all. Heizo, like his wife, knew full well that his son carried an inherent goodness in him, something that even Shizuka had to work at to gain herself.

Heiji put no faith in that, in spite of it having been proven time and time again.

"I'm sure that he will." Shinichi replied earnestly. "You must be proud of him."

"Yes," Heizo said after a moment. "I suppose that I am. Still, do keep an eye on him, Kudo-san. If any harm comes to that boy, I'll be taking up the issue with you first. You do understand that, I hope."

"You're crystal clear, Hattori-san." Shinichi quickly reassured him. There was that protectiveness again, he couldn't help but note. "I'll see to it that no harm falls on him. But if you don't mind me asking, why is it that he's so determined to be involved in this case? He showed that scar of his that he got from that yukionna, but I can't help but feel like there's something more to it."

Giving the young before him a considering look, Heizo carefully gauged his expression, not letting a hint of anything he was thinking surface on it. "Heiji feels that he has a lot to prove, Kudo-san. The scars run deeper than just what shows on the surface."

"Yes, I understand." With a slight frown, Shinichi had to admit that no, he _didn't_ understand at all. "Well, if you'll excuse me, Hattori-san, I still have some more things that I want to do before I head back to Tokyo tonight. And don't worry about your son, sir. I'll make sure he's well looked after while he's under my care. Or well, more like my wife will make sure of it. She tends to be the pampering type."

With a slight blink of his eyes, a brief hint of emotion crossing the man's otherwise stoic face, Heizo quickly drew one conclusion from Shinichi's words. "Are you suggesting that my son will be staying with you while he's in Tokyo?"

"...Yes?" Shinichi asked. "Um, is that a problem?"

"No." Heizo said after a moment, resisting the urge to rub his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. It was perfectly like his son to do something as careless as agreeing to live underneath the same roof as an exorcist. "There's no problem, Kudo-san."

Somehow, Shinichi couldn't help but get the impression that there _was_.


	4. Freeloaders

AN: Here's the fourth chapter! I hope everyone enjoys it! I don't really have too much to say this time around, but thanks for reading, and leave a review if you could! Until next time!

* * *

 **Devils Bleed Black**

 **Chapter Four**

 **Freeloaders**

* * *

"I seem to recall specifically requesting that you _avoid_ trouble when I left."

"There _was_ an attempt." Shinichi was quick to try and reassure her- though he knew that she knew the words for a lie the moment they left his mouth. Carefully wrapping an arm around her waist, Shinichi did his best to give her an appeasing smile. "Besides, you'll like these kids, Ran. They're a good pair."

Heaving a long sigh, Ran knew there was no point in staying angry at him. She already knew full well what type of person he was when she had decided to marry him, so really, she should have expected that he would get himself tangled up in some possibly big, possibly dangerous case again sometime. It was really only a question of _when_.

To be sure, she hadn't expected that the answer would bring with it a pair of freeloaders, who her husband had described to her in vivid detail. Hattori Heiji, a high school detective from Osaka, and his childhood friend, Toyama Kazuha, a priestess in training, both natives of Osaka. "If anything, I'm just surprised that there's more high school detectives like you running around even now, Shinichi."

Well, that said, she couldn't deny that she was looking forward to meeting them a little, just from what Shinichi had told her about them. She couldn't help but be reminded of the two of them in the past, and she could only hope this Hattori Heiji caused this Toyama Kazuha girl less trouble than Shinichi caused her as teenagers. Granted, judging from what he had told her, she sort of doubted it- especially not since said high school detective had decided to more or less force his way into this investigation to begin with. She almost wanted to scold Shinichi for not turning him away- but she got the feeling that he'd already tried.

Nobody knew the dangers of dealing with shady organizations better than him, after all. Really, sometimes she thought it was a miracle that he was alive at all, given the curse that he'd been afflicted by had been intended to _kill_ him, not shrink him. It was only through pure luck that he had managed to survive.

"Hey, there were others besides me." Shinichi insisted, shooting her a slightly annoyed look. "Don't tell me that you've forgotten about Hakuba already?"

"Oh yes. Now that you mention it..." Ran trailed off a little, blinking at the mention of the man's name. "Well, he doesn't come by that often, so it's easy for him to slip from my mind. Isn't he teaching high school now?"

"Yeah, apparently." Shinichi said with a shrug of his shoulders, not understanding it himself. Even though he was still working as a detective, he'd also gotten a job as a literature teacher on top of that. In reality, he suspected there was something more to it, but whatever that was, he'd never been told. "Said he wanted to try and make a difference in the youths of today. Honestly, he's speaking like it's been twenty years since he was a teenager himself, not five."

"Well, anyways, putting Hakuba aside..." Shinichi trailed off. "Oh, they're here! Kazuha-san! Hattori!" Waving towards them with a smile, he caught the attention of the pair, both who returned the wave. They certainly looked like they were packed to stay more than just a few days, a duffel bag draped over Heiji's shoulder, and a wheeled suitcase being pulled just behind Kazuha.

"Oh, Kudo!" Heiji was quick to greet him, his bright smile flashing without a moment's hesitation. "We came, just like we promised! Ya haven't changed yer mind about puttin' the two of us up, have ya?"

"No, of course not." Shinichi said, before taking a step back, letting Ran take a step forward. "As mentioned earlier, this is my wife, Mo-" He caught himself mid speech, quickly giving something of a sheepish grin. " _Kudo_ Ran. It's harder to get used to that than I thought it would be."

"So yer Ran-san!" Now it was Kazuha's turn to beam, as he all but quickly took a few steps forward, thrusting out her free hand. "I'm Toyama Kazuha! I've heard all about ya, Ran-san! I'm a big fan of yers!"

"A-ah." Not quite expecting the exuberant greeting that she was getting, a smile nevertheless crept it's way across Ran's face as she carefully took Kazuha's hand, giving it a shake. "Yes. I'm Kudo Ran. It's a pleasure to meet you, Toyama-san. Shinichi's already mentioned quite a bit about you." Letting her gaze trail towards the dark skinned youth by Kazuha's side, she turned her gentle smile towards him. "...and you as well, Hattori-kun."

"Ah." Blinking slowly, as if somewhat taken aback by her, Heiji nevertheless quickly managed to compose himself, sticking out his own hand. He knew quite a bit about this woman just from the way that Kazuha went on about her sometimes, but that information hadn't included the fact that there was clearly angel blood running around in those veins of hers. He could all but sense it, feel it prickling at his skin, for a moment throwing his senses into a disarray. "Hattori Heiji. It's nice ta meet ya, Neechan!"

Well, it would be fine. He was half human, after all. Half angels might be a devil's favorite delicacy, but it wasn't as if meeting her had triggered any strange instincts within him. Even as she took his hand and he gave it a shake, nothing more emerged within him than a faint prickling sensation, a quiet whisper of knowledge of what she was echoing through his head.

He did, however, notice that she blinked when she took his hand, a perplexed look crossing her face. Whatever it was, it was gone rather quickly- but he couldn't help but wonder if she'd sensed something from him as well. Whatever she felt, it seemed she had dismissed it as nothing, which was for the best.

Shinichi too, couldn't help but take note of Ran's odd reaction. It had been brief, but it had definitely been there- for a moment, she'd turned a shade paler. In her next breath, however, she was back to normal, apparently having resolved whatever reaction coming into contact with Heiji had sent through her, her bright smile quickly returning to her face as if it had never left.

There was definitely something there.

Clearing his throat, Shinichi glanced between the three. "Now then. Let's not just stand out here in the open, let's go on inside. Kazuha-san, Hattori, the two of you can use the spare rooms I showed to you the other night. After the two of you get settled in, you and I can start looking into some things regarding the matter, Hattori."

"Oh, sounds great!" With a bright smile on his face, Heiji once more all but effortlessly passed through the protective barrier that surrounded the Kudo manor, something which Shinichi took careful note of. "I'm eager ta get started!"

He had gotten the report that his mother had sent his way, and head read it word for word, several times already, trying to fully memorize the details of it. Eight years ago, just as she had said, a white horned devil had been spotted in the Osaka prefecture. The exorcists who encountered it had been on routine patrol, looking for any suspicious activities when they had come across the young devil. They had very nearly mistaken it for a lost human child, until they took notice of the dark aura that seeped from it, as well as it's horns and golden eyes.

They had sought to capture it and seal it, as was the routine, but it had spent the entire time once they had managed to corner it, binding it with chains pleading that it hadn't done anything wrong. It was enough to give the exorcists a bit of pause, wondering if perhaps they had made some sort of terrible mistake- and that had been all the devil needed to get away, breaking free of the chains meant to bind it in place, and vanished from their sights. They had searched all night for it, but they hadn't managed to find a trace of it afterwards, and no further reports about a white horned devil had been filed since.

Shinichi didn't doubt that it was the same one that he had met the other night. While devils were an ageless lot as a whole, they generally did still have a beginning- he didn't doubt that the child devil that they had encountered had truly been a child, just like the adolescent devil he had encountered had truly been one. A young devil, with white horns and white wings, who could easily see through the spell cast on his own mask to tell who he was, who assured him that he was doing nothing wrong, and that they were in fact, on the same side.

And Hattori Heiji, the young man whose voice was exactly the same, whose body type and basic appearance matched the devil far too closely for him to ever truly put aside. The strange young man who passed through barriers meant to repel devils with ease, and yet had earned a strange reaction from his wife, who carried the blood of an angel. It was truly was a mystery, one just as interesting to him as that of the Wish Fulfillment Foundation- if not nearly as pressing.

"Really, I can't thank ya again fer lettin' us stay over at yer place, Kudo-kun." Kazuha spoke up, giving the man a bright smile. She knew that Heiji had gotten an earful from both of his parents when they had learned he was planning to spend an unspecified amount of time living underneath the same roof as an exorcist, but he'd been stubborn with his resolve. It would be weird if he suddenly changed his mind now, he had insisted, the point with which he had finally managed to win with in the end. "It really helps!"

"No, it's no problem, like I said." Shinichi told her, shaking his head. "The two of you are welcome to stay as long as you like. Isn't that right, Ran?"

"Of course." Ran told them, a bright smile crossing her face- before she rethought her words. "Well, when school is back in session, the two of you will have to go back to Osaka though, but hopefully whatever case you're working on with Shinichi won't take quite so long, Hattori-kun. Something about some kind of Wish Fulfillment Foundation?"

Shinichi had given her the details- of course he had, she had made him swear never to keep secrets from her again. It had been a condition of their marriage, actually, and one she was rather stern about. She didn't really like the idea of him getting involved in another big case involving an organization of devils, after seeing what the last one had taken out of him, but she knew that she couldn't actually stop him. And he was right- someone needed to do something about this.

And for as much as she was worried about her husband, he at least was an adult now- so when he had mentioned that he would be working alongside a high school detective from Osaka, she had protested to that too, especially when she learned that he was just a regular human. It was too dangerous, she had said, to which Shinichi told her he'd already tried to convince Heiji of, but he wouldn't have it. Better to investigate with him and keep track of him, than to have the kid run off on his own and get in over his head.

Still, now that she had actually met this Osakan high school detective, Ran found herself wondering for a moment about the human part. She knew full well that Shinichi was in close contact with several devils himself- the chief among them being Haibara Ai, though she was only a devil in spirit these days, having become mostly human. And in spite of the traumatic experience that she had endued when she was young, the one that had lead Shinichi to being an exorcist like his mother in the first place, she still understood that perhaps the world of devils wasn't as all black as it seemed to be on the surface- and that there were allowances for shades of gray.

She couldn't help but wonder if Hattori Heiji was one of these shades of gray. When she shook his hand, a spark of something shot through her- but she had put it aside, looking at that earnest, wide grin of his, and knowing that Shinichi seemed to trust him enough to allow him to live in their home. She had been told that the girl by his side was a priestess in training, and his childhood friend- and that too, helped assuage her fears.

If not her curiosity.

"Yeah, that's right!" Heiji nodded his head, turning that bright grin of his towards her once again. "Kudo an' I are gonna look into it, an' whatever bad things they're plannin' the two of us are gonna put a stop ta it! Well," Allowing his grin to grow all the more, a hint of amusement danced in his eyes. "I'm pretty much just draggin' Kudo along so I've got an exorcist in tow. It's not like I need help with the detective work."

"You're boastin' an awful lot fer someone who decided ta become a detective because of Kudo-kun in the first place, Heiji." Kazuha couldn't help but note, an amused smirk of her own appearing as Heiji turned towards her, shooting her a dirty look. "Well it's true! There's no shame in admittin' it! This kid's been lookin' up ta ya ever since he was just ten years old, ya know!"

"Shut up, idiot!" Heiji spat out, narrowing his eyes. "An' besides, what about ya? Ya've been trackin' this Neechan's martial arts career ever since around the same time, so ya aren't even that much better than me! You were the one practically glowin' at the idea of bein' able ta live underneath the same roof as her!"

"Now, now, you two." Ran spoke up, a soft smile appearing on her face as she watched the pair of them bicker with each other- even if she couldn't help at flush at the idea of having been looked up to for so long by someone! "There's no need to fight. Hattori-kun, I'm certain you're quite a skilled detective on your own, if people are really comparing you to Shinichi when he was in high school. And Kazuha-chan, I'm really flattered to hear that you've been admiring me for so long- I can only hope that I can live up to your expectations!"

"W-well," Kazuha stammered a little, her cheeks flushing a light shade of pink. "Thank ya, Ran-san. I know the two of us are intruding on yer newly married life, after all."

"Think nothing of it, Kazuha-chan." Ran was quick to reassure her, not the least bit bothered. Ever since moving into the place, she had always found that the Kudo manor was a bit lonely- but then, she had always been used to living in much smaller spaces than this. "It's nice to have some more people around the house, actually. The two of you won't be a bother at all. Now then," Opening up the doors to the manor, stepping aside to allow the pair inside. "Why don't the two of you go find your rooms and make yourselves at home?"

"Don't mind if I do!" Heiji said with a grin, quickly hurrying inside and making his way up the stairs without a second thought. Quickly excusing his behavior, Kazuha hurriedly caught up with him, a lecture half heard as she hurried up the steps herself.

"See?" Shinichi asked, glancing over at Ran with one of those smiles she knew so well. "I told you they were a lively pair."

"Lively doesn't even begin to describe it." Ran noted- before a smile quickly broke out over her face, a faint hint of laughter escaping from her. "They're good kids, just like you said, Shinichi. Although that Hattori-kun..." Dropping her voice, she let her gaze trail over towards her husband. "...there's something about him, isn't there? That's the real reason you invited him to stay with us, isn't it?"

"You could say that." Shinichi said, nodding his head. "He's a good kid like you said, I think that much is true, but you're right. There's definitely something about him. I just don't know what that something might be."

"Maybe he's like Ai-chan?" Ran asked, before pausing, rethinking her question. "Or perhaps a bit more like Hondou-san and Furuya-san?"

"I'm not sure myself." Shinichi said, shaking his head. "Well, whatever he is, the bit about him being a detective is true enough. You don't mind him do you, Ran? If he troubles you, then I can still see to it that he can stay somewhere else..."

"No, not at all!" Ran quickly said, shaking her head. "I was a bit startled when I first saw him, but I don't think he's carrying anything bad within him, Shinichi. I did say that he seemed like a good kid, and I meant that. A bit loud though."

"You don't know the _half_ of that part." Shinichi noted with a slight laugh- especially when, as if on cue, they could faintly make out the sound of Heiji's voice coming from the second floor, the name of his childhood friend on his lips.

* * *

"Are you worried about him?"

"He's run off to go live with an exorcist without a thought in his head about how dangerous that could be. Of _course_ I'm worried about him Heizo, don't ask questions you already know the answer to." Placing her hands on her hips and letting out a long sigh, Shizuka's irritation was already transparent to him by the twitch of her tail, the bristling of the fur on it. In the security of their own home, she saw no reason to hide her true nature. Though she didn't raise her voice, her tone turned sharp.

"I've worked with that Kudo Shinichi fellow before." Heizo noted, carefully placing his hands on his wife's shoulders, feeling her tension relax a little underneath them. "He's a bright young man, and a rather interesting fellow. I don't believe that he means our son any harm, Shizu."

"That's only because he doesn't know anything." Shizuka said, resolute in her distrust of him. She knew exorcists too well, she knew what they had nearly done to her son in the past- he still bore the scars from it, the unfading links of chain burned into his skin a constant reminder of what had happened on that rainy day. "I'm worried that it's not going to stay that way, and then the cat will be out of the bag. What would we do then, Heizo? We wouldn't be able to stay here any longer. Not in Osaka, not in Japan. We would have to leave, and hope they won't follow."

It was a constant worry that lingered deep within her- what would happen when people found out? Would people understand that her son was just as human as they were, or would they coldly reject him, turning him away, calling him a monster, a traitor. Surely they would say the latter to Heizo, even those who respected him for the work that he did. If people found out the truth, then surely they could no longer stay in this country- they would have to leave, and hope to find something better somewhere else, someplace nobody knew them.

Given how much Heiji loved his hometown, she doubted that such a thing would be easy.

"I do not think it will come to that, Shizu." Most people didn't get to hear the soft tone that her husband's voice now took- it was something that was hers, and hers alone. It had been that unexpectedly soft tone of his that had fluttered her heart in the first place, when he'd spurned the devil woman's attempts to trick and seduce him, instead offering her his own coat, in fear that she would be cold, being so lightly dressed out in that winter night. "Our son can be quite foolish at times, and acts far too much on impulse for his own good, but he is a fairly good judge of character, if nothing else."

"I know." Shizuka said after a moment, closing her eyes. "But he's my son, Heizo. I wore about him so much. The only thing I want for him is for him to live a normal, happy life. I've already made that harder for him than it should be just by being what I am."

"He's never resented you for it." Heizo noted. "If you were not what you are, perhaps the two of us would have never met, and he never would have been born at all."

"Perhaps we would have." Shizuka said simply, looking up at her husband. "Perhaps he would have. And not a day goes by that I don't think having him was one of the best decisions of my life. Second only to marrying you, really."

"Hm." Heizo noted. He was not a man to blush or get flustered, but Shizuka could sense that her words had stirred something inside of him. "Well, at the very least, Kazuha is there with him, and she has a rather sensible head on her shoulders. She'll look after him as she always has."

"A tall order and a tough job." Shizuka couldn't help but note, letting a hint of laughter escape from her lips. "But one that she's all but built for. Introducing the two of them was the fourth best decision that I've ever made in my life."

"What was the third, then?" Heizo couldn't help but ask, opening one eye to peer down at his wife, a grin on her face that was rather befitting of a devil.

"That one time from our honeymoon."

"Ah."

* * *

"Is there something bothering you, Ayumi-chan?"

At the sound of her friend's voice, Ayumi broke out of her thoughts, casting a sheepish smile Ai's way. Ever since they were still children, mere first grade students, she had always been able to see right through her this way. Sometimes it felt as if she was a lot older than she let on, but whatever the mystery was behind Haibara Ai, it wasn't one that she, nor the rest of the Detective Boys- now the Detective Club, as they had formally entered middle school, cared to solve.

If her good friend was keeping secrets, then it wasn't something that troubled her at all. No, what did trouble her this morning was something else entirely.

"Um, you know Takashita-senpai from the tennis club?" Ayumi asked, turning around in her chair so she could lock eyes with the girl who sat behind her. They were not yet in their own summer holiday, but she could still feel the excitement for the upcoming break in the air around her- though her own was dampened by her current worries. "You know, the tall one who is a little cool?"

"I know the tall one." Ai remarked, though she allowed herself a hint of a grin at the way Ayumi had described him- it was good to see that she was starting to move on from the phantom specter of Edogawa Conan, someone who should have never existed in the first place, and never would again. "Is there something wrong with him? I know there's a bad cold going around lately..."

"No, it's not that." Ayumi said, shaking her head. "He's been acting a bit strange lately, actually. Always mumbling to himself when he thinks that nobody is around."

"Mumbling?" Ai blinked slightly, finally turning her attention away from her book, carefully placing it down on her desk so that she didn't lose her place. "Perhaps he's worried about something."

"Ayumi thought so too, at first." Ayumi admitted, a troubled look crossing her face, before she glanced around the room. Quickly leaning in towards Ai, she dropped her voice. "But the other night, when I was going to the convenience store by my house to pick up some juice, and I definitely saw him! But when I called out to him, he didn't respond at all. I was a little worried so..."

"You followed him?" Ai whispered back. Something in her gut churned, giving her a sense as to how this story was going to end.

"Yeah." Ayumi nodded her head. "He looked a bit strange, like he was in some kind of daze or something." She told her, her brow furrowing in thought. "And then all of a sudden, when he turned a corner he was gone! Just like that!" Realizing that she had raised her voice a little more than intended at the last part, Ayumi cast a sheepish look towards the rest of the class, her cheeks tinting a faint shade of pink as she darted her eyes quickly back towards Ai.

"But apparently he came to school today and seems the same as usual. But it was definitely weird, Ai-chan!" Ayumi insisted, giving a sharp nod of her head. "So I was thinking that maybe you could ask Kudo-kun to look into. I get the feeling that this is something that the Detective Club shouldn't look into ourselves."

"Which is why you brought it up with me, as opposed to Kojima-kun." Ai noted smoothly. "Very well, Ayumi-chan. I'll pass this information on to Kudo-kun. If there's really something going on with Takashita-senpai, I'm certain that he'll handle it posthaste."

Even if he did seem rather busy these days, what with the matter of that strange Foundation he'd mentioned to Ai earlier, or the matter of that strange white horned devil he'd met the other night. She still didn't know what to make of the latter- a devil's horns simply did not come in white. Even those humans who had been turned into devils themselves did not possess such things.

"Thank you, Ai-chan!" Beaming brightly now that the promise had been made, Ayumi took Ai's hands in hers, a warm smile filling her face that at times, reminded her of the one she had called her sister for a time. "That really means a lot to me!"

"Think nothing of it, Ayumi-chan." Ai said simply, a soft smile gracing the features of the shrunken devil woman. "We're friends, aren't we?"

* * *

"So? Where do we start, Kudo?"

Shinichi couldn't help but quirk a grin at the eagerness that filled Heiji's voice. Kazuha had elected to remain behind with Ran, wanting to have some time to speak with the woman that she had grown up admiring in private- as well as to leave the two detectives to their work. She had a brief exchange with Heiji before he'd left, asking in no uncertain terms if he was wearing his charm, to which he'd replied with no small amount of frustration that yes, he was, stop asking about it already.

Glancing at the purple string that looped around Heiji's neck, Shinichi again wondered what the story behind the matching charms was. Whatever it was, they seemed to be quite important to Kazuha.

"We start by speaking with an... _acquaintance_ of mine." Shinichi almost hesitated to describe the person they were going to visit as such, but quite frankly, he knew no better way to sum up his relationship with the woman that he was about to seek out. He knew exactly where to find her- she hadn't been moved from that place once for the past five years, and he knew that nobody would have any issues with him asking her a few questions.

Even though she had been sealed away for five years, Shinichi didn't doubt that certain whispers of information still reached the ears of the devil woman that he had come to know simply as Vermouth. She wasn't quite like Ai, not a devil that allied herself with humans- but she had seemed to develop a certain interest in himself, and furthermore, a certain interest in Ran, one that was greatly different than the _normal_ kind of interest that devils had in her.

Even now, Shinichi only trusted her so much. But she was a good starting point.

And if he had to be completely honest, it was something of a test, he thought to himself, gaze darting over towards Heiji, who was peering out the windows as the Tokyo streets passed them by. He was curious to see how the two of them would react to each other- though he did admit, it was something of a gamble. He could only hope that it wouldn't be one that would set of that inferno of a temper that Shinichi had gotten a glimpse at back at the detective agency the other day.

He'd considered asking Heiji directly, but that too, might set off his temper. Quite frankly, he wanted to avoid that- his words to Ran were honest. He did think that he was a good person, and the last thing that he wanted him to think was that he was suspicious of him in any way. Certainly, he didn't get the feeling that Hattori Heiji was dangerous, though the secrets that he was hiding might very well be. If his suspicions were wrong, and Heiji turned out to be nothing more than a slightly odd, yet earnest young man, confronting him directly with his suspicion might destroy what appeared to be a budding friendship between the two of them.

Test or no test, he wouldn't have even considered bringing Heiji to meet with Vermouth were it not for the fact that he knew the exorcist that was guarding her very well. He was someone who could keep a secret, which was for the best- the last thing he wanted was for the guild to take an interest in Heiji. Because if they took note of the same things that he did, then it was entirely possible that someone would request an inquiry into the young man.

And even if the inquiry turned out nothing, even if Heiji had nothing to do with devils, it would still be more than enough to destroy his life. And that was something that Shinichi wanted to avoid at all costs. The guild's thinking was much like the world's- often too black and white, not allowing for the many shades of gray that populated the world.

"An acquaintance?" Heiji asked, tilting his head as he glanced back at him. "What kind of person are they? Another exorcist?"

There was a hint of something within his voice as he asked that- suspicion, maybe, or some kind of paranoia. A hint of fear, if he didn't miss his guess, something that surfaced within the depths of those blue, very human eyes.

"No, not an exorcist." Shinichi said, shaking his head. "Well, you'll see when we get there, Hattori. She's an interesting woman."

Well, that was one way of putting it, at least.

* * *

"So how long have you known Hattori-kun, Kazuha-chan?" Ran asked, a slightly curious note to her voice as she glanced across the table towards the young priestess across from to her. While the boys went out to investigate, she had decided to treat her young guest and apparently her, her longtime ardent fan, by bringing her to a lovely tea shop that she knew of, not far from Shinichi's place.

She knew he was going to visit Vermouth, but she decided not to tell that to Kazuha. Doubtlessly she would worry if she knew.

"Since we were babies, pretty much." Kazuha said with a quick smile. "My father an' Heiji's father have known each other since they were in school, an' they were partners on the force before his dad became the head, so when they had kids around the same time, they thought it would be a good idea ta have us meet an' play together."

Well, it was also to get Heiji used to human children, something which he needed. But best not to mention that.

"That's quite a long time." Ran observed, giving her a soft smile as she took a sip of her tea. "No wonder the two of you seem so close. Does he always bring you along on trips like these?"

"Well, not always." Kazuha admitted, shaking her head. "But enough. Sometimes it's nothin' but trouble, I swear! But that's a feelin' ya probably already know well yerself, Ran-san."

"That's true." Unable to help but laugh a little, Ran nodded her head. "It really could be quite troublesome back when Shinichi and I were your age. Even when he wasn't looking for a case, he always seemed to run into one, no matter where it was that he went."

"It's the same with Heiji!" Kazuha said with a nod of her head, fully understanding the older woman's woes. "He's always gettin' himself into some kind of trouble, an' then he gets so caught up in solvin' the case, that he doesn't think ta call or contact anyone!"

"I can understand that feeling." Ran nodded her head. Granted, Shinichi had gotten much better at it since the whole Conan affair, but there were still times when he would slip up and forget. Deciding to change topics for the moment, Ran set down her teacup. "But I understand that you're a priestess, Kazuha-chan? Are you learning from your mother?"

"Yes." With a nod of her head, Kazuha proudly beamed at her. "I've been training by her side ever since I was a little girl. She says I'm quite talented, but I still have plenty of things that I need to learn before I can really hope to match up with her. She's really amazing, you know! Compared to her, my barrier spells aren't nearly as strong."

That said, she had figured out a different way to use such spells other than the conventional method. Perhaps it was the fact that she spent a fair amount of time thinking out of the box, trying to design spells and charms that wouldn't bring harm to Heiji in their wake, that she was able to think of somewhat more unusual methods of casting spells in the first place, but it was always something her mother had praised as one of her natural talents- praise which she had modestly accepted.

"I'm sure you'll become a splendid priestess, Kazuha-chan." Ran reassured her. She had found herself taking quite the liking to this young girl, seeing an echo of herself from the past in her relationship with Heiji. "That's right. Do you think you can make me a charm?"

"Eh?" Blinking a little at her words, as if she was half uncertain that she'd heard her right, a flabbergasted look crossed Kazuha's face. "Me? A charm for Ran-san? W-well, if you're alright with me, then..." Fidgeting with the material of her skirt a little, Kazuha glanced a bit sheepishly towards her. "What kind of charm?"

"Hm, let's see." Ran put a finger to her chin, considering the question. "I've got a tournament coming up in two weeks, so perhaps a good luck charm for it? My opponent's supposed to be pretty strong, after all."

"Then I'll do my best to make a wonderful charm for you, Ran-san! Leave it to me!"

* * *

"Oi, Kudo." Heiji's eyes narrowed as he stepped out of the car, darting around the area. There was something about the air of this place that put him ill at ease, pulling at the less human aspects of his blood. "What exactly is this place? I thought we were drivin' pretty far out of the city, but..."

A misty forest, so off the beaten path that the road leading through it hadn't been paved hadn't exactly been where Heiji expected Shinichi to be taking him. For a moment, he couldn't help but glance suspiciously towards him, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck prick up, wondering if he'd perhaps been deceived after all. He didn't want to think that of someone like Shinichi, but perhaps his mother had been right to worry after all.

"Relax, Hattori." Shinichi sent him a smile, sensing, but not questioning his visible fear response. "Like I told you, we're going to meet an acquaintance of mine. There's a good chance that if there's something big brewing amongst the devils, that she might know something about it."

"An' who exactly is this acquaintance of yers, I ask again." Heiji said, trying to drown out the low whispers that he could just faintly make out, things that were beyond the scope of a normal human's hearing. Even if they could hear these things, these devils of such low level that they lacked even so much as a corporal form, it wasn't as if they could make out the things that they were saying. Higher level demons used them as messengers, but otherwise, they didn't have much use. Perhaps it was because of his human blood, but Heiji could only ever make out the faintest bits and pieces of their words, though he knew his mother could understand them full well.

And for some reason, this place was full of them, their chatters and whispers filling his head, almost drowning out the sound of his own voice.

 _Vermouth! Vermouth! Tell Vermouth!_ They would whisper as the flitted by his head, seeming to buzz around him like pesky bugs all at once, before they quickly began to dart off, heading towards the large stone formation that loomed just beyond them. _He's here! He's here! He's come and brought a traitor with him!_

Slightly twitching at the descriptor that was doubtlessly being used for himself, Heiji made an earnest attempt to not look like he was bothered by their presence. It didn't seem as if Shinichi even noticed them, and if he did, he was a hell of a lot better at ignoring them than he was.

"She's a devil that I sealed here five years ago." Shinichi remarked, carefully watching Heiji's expression as he told him that much- a brief look of shock, which quickly returned to being one of suspicion. "When I first met her, she went by the name of Sharon Vineyard. These days she mostly goes by Vermouth, however."

"Would you like to turn back, Hattori? I certainly won't force you to meet someone like her. I can assure you that she's quite well sealed." Shinichi added. She had never so much as made a move to escape before, and he doubted that would change at any point during his lifetime.

"Turn back?" A tone of almost offense laced his voice, as Heiji couldn't help but feel the hint of a fierce grin appearing on his face. If this was meant to be some kind of test, then bring it on. "Are ya kiddin' me? There's no way in hell I'd do somethin' like that."

"Well," Shinichi couldn't help but let a slight laugh escape from him. "That's kind of what I expected from you."


	5. Silver Tongues Do Not Always Speak Lies

AN: Sorry for the wait, here's the fifth chapter! As always, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy! Don't forget to leave a review on the way out, if you could be so kind!

Until next time!

* * *

 **Devils Bleed Black**

 **Chapter Five**

 **Silver Tongues Do Not Always Speak Lies**

* * *

In truth, it was a small miracle that Heiji wasn't letting how nervous he was about this turn of events show on his face. If he had any doubts that Shinichi had any lingering suspicions about him, the fact that he'd dragged him all the way out here, to such a place, pretty much put them to rest. If this was some kind of test, he could only hope that he would pass it with flying colors. Feeling grateful that only _he_ was able to hear the whispers of the low level devils that flitted about them, Heiji did his best to not let the apprehension he was feeling surface on his face- a tall order for the usually emotional teenager.

Perhaps his mother had a point- perhaps he had been a little bit _too_ hasty in deciding to trust the likes of Kudo Shinichi. But as much as hints of paranoia and doubt began to surface inside of him, he still felt as if his instincts were right on the mark- perhaps this wasn't a test at all, and perhaps it was only his own paranoia speaking. Paranoia which he liked to deny having, even though he knew he wasn't fooling anyone who knew him. It had surfaced bright and clear during the finals for his last kendo tournament, when for a moment, he had watched the expressions of those all around him warp and change into hateful jeers, if only in his mind.

 _Breathe_ , he thought to himself. _You'll be_ _ **fine**_.

"So? What makes ya think this Vermouth devil's gonna be able ta tell ya anythin'?" Heiji asked, casting a glance over towards Shinichi, hoping that his tone was half as casual as he thought it was. "From how ya said it, she's been sealed up here fer five years." Mentally making a connection, Heiji blinked, tilting his head to the side. "But if ya sealed her five years ago, does that mean she has somethin' ta do with that Organization?"

"That's right." Shinichi told him with a nod, carefully sparing him a glance out of the corner of his eye. Heiji was doing well at masking how nervous he was, but not nearly well enough- he picked up on it almost clear as day. Still, anyone coming to meet a sealed devil would be somewhat nervous, so that in itself was really not too strange. "She gets whispers of information still. Low level devils love to cluster around her for some reason, bringing her all sorts of information. Well, I doubt she'll ever try to escape from here for so long as I'm alive, so it doesn't trouble me too much. She's... _interesting_ , for a devil."

"Oh?" Heiji asked, lifting his brows, somewhat intrigued by this bit of information. Since she had been involved in _that_ Organization, he doubted that she was anything like his mother- but if she was willing to provide the exorcist who had sealed her away with information, somehow Heiji didn't doubt Shinichi's choice of words. There were all kinds of shades of gray, after all. "Interestin' how"?

"Well, you'll understand when you meet her." Shinichi told him, casting him a slight smile. "The exorcist who is watching over her right now is a personal friend of mine as well. Hondou Eisuke is his name. He's a bit clumsy, but he's a good guy."

Hoping that he didn't look half as relieved as he felt upon hearing that the exorcist in charge of this place was a friend of Shinichi's, Heiji turned his gaze straight ahead. Ahead of them, shrouded still in fog, that slowly began peeling back as they approached it, was a large rock, one that towered over their heads. Heiji didn't doubt that the fog that surrounded them was unnatural, given the way it stung at his skin a little as they headed deeper into it- it was obviously designed to repel devils. Low level devils were impervious to it, and were of very little worry in the first place- it was designed to confuse higher level ones, he was willing to bet, to mislead them and prevent them from ever arriving at their destination.

To Heiji, it was only a minor irritation.

"Is it alright ta have someone clumsy watch over someone this important?" Heiji asked, casting him a skeptical glance, even as the fog began to clear up, as they got closer to the massive rock. "Sounds a bit chancy ta me."

"Well, it's true that he's clumsy, but he knows what he's doing. It's not in such a way that puts his duty at risk, at any rate." Shinichi reassured him. The fact that he had managed to obtain the qualifications needed for this role in such a short time period was a testament to how hard he worked- and just how much he wanted it. Granted, his main goal was not guarding this location, but rather, something else- but there was no need to disclose such things to Heiji, at least not at the moment. "Ah, there he is now! Hondou!"

"You really did come, Shinichi-san! I've been waiting for you!" Squinting a little at first, the bespectacled man reached up for a second, plucking the round glasses off of his face, pausing to wipe them down somewhat with his handkerchief. Placing them back on, taking a brief second to adjust them, he reconfirmed that the one approaching him now was exactly who he thought he was- before his gaze trailed over towards the one next to him, and he found himself momentarily squinting again.

Now that was a face he didn't know. It wasn't like Shinichi to bring other people here with him- especially not someone who was a stranger.

Something must have happened. He sensed as much when he got the message from Shinichi, sent via rather magical channels rather than simply over the phone, as if he didn't want to risk such a thing. A swift, curt message that told him that he would be coming to visit Vermouth on that day, and that he should prepare everything for him.

He hadn't mentioned about bringing anyone _with_ him.

Sensing his fellow exorcist's curiosity, Shinichi turned his gaze back towards Heiji, who he couldn't notice was studying the older man with a hint of wariness. His guard was somewhat up, as casual as he kept his body language- and he wondered if Eisuke had picked up on it as well. In spite of his looks, he could be rather perceptive of that sort of thing. "This is Hattori Heiji, he's working with me on a recent case. The one that I've come to ask Vermouth about, in fact. I thought it would be faster if I brought him with me. Hattori, this is Hondou Eisuke, the person I mentioned just a second ago."

"Yeah, I gathered that much." Heiji noted dryly, arching a brow as he looked the older man up and down. Honestly he didn't look like much- but if he was an exorcist, and one in charge of guarding someone who had something to do with _that_ Organization at that, then he probably wasn't anything to sneeze at. Lacking in magical ability as he was, Heiji had no way of judging how strong someone's magical aura was or not- which was a bit of a problem, he was willing to admit.

Granted, his lack of magical ability _did_ allow him to see through illusion spells with ease, given that they were built upon drawing out the innate magic within those viewing what they had been cast over. If one didn't have any magic to begin with, then they were practically useless- it had been how he had been able to tell who the exorcist was underneath the mask from the other night so easily. Well, it helped that he constantly read newspaper articles in which Shinichi was involved, so he already had a pretty good idea of what he looked like, in spite of never meeting the man, but he wasn't about to admit _that_.

Still, he was surprised at crossing paths with him like that- he had always thought that when they finally did, it would be as detective and detective.

"Anyways, like Kudo over there said, I'm Hattori Heiji." Heiji introduced himself, offering Eisuke a hand, an easy grin on his face. He had appeared somewhat startled to see him here- but it might have very well been that he hadn't been informed that Shinichi was bringing someone with him. It wasn't like he gave off an aura or anything, not in _this_ form at the very least. "It's nice ta meet ya, Hondou-han."

"Osaka-ben?" Eisuke couldn't help but comment, but otherwise took his hand and shook it without much of a fuss. "But is it alright, Shinichi-san? I don't think she'll do anything, given how well she's sealed, but bringing someone who has no relation to _that time_ in to see her might not be wise."

"It'll be fine if he's with me." Shinichi said easily. "Don't worry about it, Hondou."

"Well, if you insist..." Eisuke trailed off, a slightly unconvinced look on his face as he glanced back at the young man in question, casting another curious eye over him. "I'll open up the pathway. You'll have thirty minutes with her. If you don't leave before that, I can't promise that the two of you won't accidentally get sealed up in there with her."

Now that was an interesting look on Heiji's face, Shinichi couldn't help but note- watching as he visibly flinched at the words. There was some kind of deeper fear at work there. "Don't worry about it, Hattori. I won't lose track of time. I've never done it once yet, after all."

"Ya come here often?" Heiji asked, a slight frown gracing his features. Were his worries that his obvious? Even if he _was_ half human, this was his first time entering a seal meant to trap such a powerful devil inside of it. Only now was he thinking about what would happen if he couldn't get out on his own- or what if he couldn't get inside in the first place. The last thing he wanted was to be exposed in such a way.

He didn't know how many people would believe the truth in the first place- that he was really half human. Possession was a much likelier thought. He'd never once met another like him, after all.

"On occasion." Shinichi told him, taking a step back from Eisuke. Following his cue, Heiji watched with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension as Eisuke placed a hand on the large rock, closing his eyes. He was probably gathering magical energy, not that he would be able to tell something like that himself. "It pays to have a number of contacts from different walks of life in my line of work."

"Do ya mean as an exorcist, or a detective?" Heiji couldn't help but ask, quirking a grin in spite of himself. Well, whatever happened from here on out, there was no turning back. He'd already made his decision- and if it blew up in his face, it would be time to put the faith he held in Shinichi to the test.

"Both, really." Shinichi admitted with a quick grin of his own. Feeling magic gather up in the palm of Eisuke's hand, a pathway began to form in the rock, leading deep inside of it. As he pulled his hand away from it, and turned back towards them, stepping out of the way, Shinichi nodded to Heiji. "Come on, let's go. Unless you've changed your mind?"

"Hell no." Heiji stated plainly, eyes fixed on the tunnel in front of him. This Vermouth lady must have one hell of an aura- even though she had been sealed away like this, and even though he couldn't really sense them himself, he could still feel vestige traces of it, pulling at his skin. "I've already come this far, after all. Besides, after all the fussin' ya did about not wantin' ta get a normal human involved, I doubt ya'd bring me ta a place that's dangerous."

"That's true." Shinichi said simply, taking a step forward, heading into the tunnel. Out of the corner of his eye, he could make out Heiji following behind him, passing through the barrier around the rock without too much difficulty- though for just a moment, he felt a brief spike of magical energy, coming from the charm that he wore strung about his neck, hidden underneath his shirt.

He would have to make a note to ask Kazuha about the matching charms a bit later- no doubt they were her own work.

* * *

Breath caught sharply in her throat, and unthinkingly, Kazuha felt a hand stray up towards her charm, cupping it in her hand. Forgetting what she was doing and where she was for a moment, she squeezed her eyes shut, feeling a surge of magical energy pass through her body- before it vanished as if it had never been there, leaving her slightly dazed. Taking in and letting out a long breath, Kazuha slowly removed her hand from her charm, letting her shoulders slump even as her eyes narrowed.

Somewhere, Heiji had just passed through a barrier powerful enough that it risked causing him problems. She expected as much to happen over the course of the investigation- but not so soon. Heiji might have mocked her belief in the charm that she had made when she was still a child, claiming that she wasn't nearly old enough to make something effective at that time, but Kazuha knew differently. It was the reason that she insisted that he wear it everywhere, no matter where he was going.

Leaning back in her chair, Kazuha closed her eyes, once more placing her hand over her charm, feeling it lightly hum with magical energy. Well, of course Heiji would never realize that it actually worked- he couldn't feel this sort of thing for himself. What she was worried about, rather, was Shinichi noticing it- namely, _when_ it started to take effect. It was true enough that Heiji's human blood was more than enough to allow him to pass through any number of barriers designed to keep devils out, especially when he was in human form, but it was also just as true that this didn't apply to _all_ of them. The more powerful the barrier, the stronger the risk- and she'd already seen the effect of an exorcist's magic on him.

Clenching her charm tighter as visions of that night rose up into her arms, when Shizuka had come over to the Toyama household in the middle of the night in a frenzy, heedless of how wet she was getting from the rain, searching for her son. Visions of the marks left behind by the exorcist's chains that had all but been burned into Heiji's chest, leaving behind terrible scars that lingered even today. Forcing such images back, Kazuha took another breath, steadying herself, opening her eyes once more. Judging from the fact that she hadn't felt anything more than the tingle of magic, whatever forces had created the barrier weren't seeking to harm Heiji.

That was good. As much as she wanted to believe in Heiji's own belief in Shinichi, she couldn't help but be filled with doubts and worries of her own. Such feelings were what lead her to create their matching charms in the first place- using pieces of handcuff chains that had linked the pair of them together when they were children. Perhaps it was because of said feelings, burning strong within her heart, that the charms possessed a magic of their own, in spite of the fact that she had barely even begun her formal training as a priestess at nine years old.

She had understood for a long time the reason why Heiji's devil blood had to be kept a secret, much longer than the one who possessed it in the first place. Her mother and Heiji's mother alike had vowed her not to breathe a word of it- and she agreed, promising that such a thing would never leave her lips, for as long as she lived. She heard all of the things that his mother worked to prevent him from hearing, but it never swayed her opinion any. After all, Heiji was her best friend- and she didn't want any harm to befall him.

When it did, there was nothing that she could have done to stop it. True, she was only a child herself at the time- but the look that had haunted Heiji's eyes for months afterwards made even her young self wish that such a thing never happened. What had Heiji done so wrong in the first place? He was simply trying to live, just as everyone else. The fact that he was a bit different from everyone else hardly merited being attacked.

It was a look that never entirely left him, even as the light slowly came back into his eyes, though most of the time, he hid it well. It had been during his last kendo tournament when she had seen it in full force again, when she had raced after him, catching him in the locker room, trying to calm himself down. The way he had flinched when he heard the door thrown open, the way he only relaxed, letting his hand drop away from his bleeding ear only once he realized it was just her.

"Kazuha-chan? Is something wrong?"

Startling at the sound of Ran's voice, Kazuha looked up towards her, quickly shaking her head. How long had Ran been standing in the doorway? She hadn't even noticed her come in. "No, everything's fine, Ran-san. I was just thinkin' about somethin', that's all. Ah, are those snacks fer me?"

"That's right." Ran said, nodding her head, setting down the fruit tart on the table, careful to avoid the materials that Kazuha had laid out for her requested charm. It seemed that making one was a rather complicated process. "We got some the other day from one of Shinichi's past clients, so I thought I would share some with you. Of course, I saved one for Hattori-kun as well."

It was good to see Ran speaking with such ease about Heiji- when he had a chance, he'd pulled Kazuha aside, whispering to her in low tones. She never would have suspected that Ran would have been half angel herself- she heard that there were some powerful priestesses who could sense such things, but Kazuha was nowhere near there yet herself. She doubted even her mother was. More than likely, Heiji's own less than human blood sensed that of Ran's own, though it was hardly the first time he had encountered a half angel in his life. He would be just fine.

But it didn't appear that Ran thought there was anything strange about Heiji, and that made her relax considerably. If Ran's own less than human blood had sensed anything about Heiji's, she wasn't letting it show.

"I'm sure he'll be thankful." Kazuha told her with a quick grin. "Heiji's always been somethin' of a glutton, after all."

"Is that so?" Ran asked, a slight chuckle to her words. "Well, I hope you enjoy it. Is there anything else you need? Some tea, maybe?"

"No, I'm fine. The tea we had earlier was already delicious enough." Kazuha told her. She might be staying in her house for the time being, but she didn't exactly want to impose on Ran- at least, not more than she already was. She knew that of the two of them, she was probably the only one who would be conscientious of such a thing, so she had to make up for Heiji's decided lack of social graces.

"Then, I'll leave you to your work. Let me know if there's anything you need, Kazuha-chan. While you're here, you and Hattori-kun can consider yourselves something like family." Holding her tray close to her chest, Ran bowed her head towards her, before she ducked back out of the room, shutting the door behind her. It was a bit of an embarrassing thing to say- but it was nevertheless true. As long as they were staying in her house, those living with her were something akin to a family, even if they had just met.

Once she was gone, Kazuha let out a long sigh, idly fiddling with her charm for a second longer, before she set herself back to the task at hand. Ran's parting words still lingered in her mind, and she couldn't help but feel her worries melting away as a soft smile crossed her face. She wondered if this was how Heiji felt in regards to Shinichi- this blind faith that he would understand, even without any proof to the claim.

She just had to trust that Heiji wasn't going to do anything stupid. Though knowing him as she did, she almost didn't doubt that he might very well _already_ be doing just that.

* * *

"You've brought a rather interesting friend with you today, Kudo-kun."

If Vermouth thought anything more of the young man standing by his side, then she wasn't letting it show on her face, having schooled her expression into one of pure neutrality. Even as those cold gray blue eyes- an unusual color for a devil in their own right- fell on Heiji, trailing him up and down, she gave no indication as to what her true thoughts were, other than the slightest hint of a coy smile- but such a thing was nothing out of place on her face.

For his part, Shinichi noted, Heiji almost seemed to be relieved.

There was no need to worry about harm coming his way- true to his words earlier, test or no test, Shinichi wouldn't have brought him to such a place if he had suspected that there would be even the slightest chance of danger for him. He had promised his father that he would keep an eye on him, and see to it that he stayed out of harm's way- and that was a promise that he meant to keep, whatever secrets lay buried within Heiji. Whatever they might be, it didn't override the fact that he was just a teenager. If he couldn't keep him safe, then he was a complete failure as an adult.

As much as she had disavowed credit for it, seeing as the devil woman that was sealed here had once been her friend, it had been his mother, Yukiko, that had helped him craft the seal in large part. Shinichi's own magic was the one that created it, but it was Yukiko's that had laid the foundations- a double seal, which prevented even the most powerful of devils from escaping it's grasp. And even that, he knew, wasn't going to be enough to hold Vermouth forever- one day, she was going to escape from here- but not, he thought, while he was still alive.

After that? Well, he had no clue.

With only her head and torso emerging from the rock itself, the rest of her body sealed fast within the stone, Vermouth nevertheless managed to look both composed and comfortable. Great black horns rose out from head, a single pair of them that curved inwards towards the very tips. They were a stark contrast to her otherwise pale skin, and her golden blonde hair. Her eyes trailed briefly towards the faint stream of light let in my the pathway that Eisuke had created, but she paid it otherwise no mind, making no attempts to break free.

"He's my partner on my most recent case." Shinichi said simply, not giving her any names. "It seems like there are others who are following in the footsteps of the Organization, though I know not what they seek."

"And that's what brings you to me, is it?" Vermouth asked, for a moment, briefly locking eyes with Heiji. As his own sharply narrowed in response to their held gaze, a hint of amusement danced across her face, before she looked towards Shinichi. She had expected that he would turn back up here soon enough, from the very first time she had heard whispers of this so-called Wish Fulfillment Foundation. "I have heard faint whispers of trouble on the wind. It would appear that someone is gathering those with talent and strength together for some kind of new organization- but I'm afraid that I know not their end goals, much as you have no clue yourself, my dear Silver Bullet."

"But ya do know somethin', don't ya?" Heiji finally spoke up, quirking a brow. There was no mistake that sealed though she was, this devil woman had been able to tell what he was right away. That look she had shared with him was more than enough to inform him of that, even if he were unable to make out the faint whispers of the low level devils informing her as much.

What the hell was the deal with that silver bullet comment, though? Chancing a brief glance over towards Shinichi, Heiji couldn't help but notice the rather intense way his gaze was fixed upon her. The words themselves had seemed to trigger some kind of reaction from him- though he'd masked the specifics of it rather well.

So he wasn't the only one of them keeping secrets, then.

"I do know something indeed." Vermouth said simply, once more leveling her gaze towards Heiji. What an interesting young man indeed- in all of her many years of life, she could count the times she had seen one such as him on one hand. Her gaze slowly trailing back towards Shinichi, she couldn't help but wonder if he knew the true nature of the one who stood by his side. Judging from the way that the half devil had stiffened when her gaze had fallen upon him, she assumed that he did not- but the suspicions, doubtlessly, were there.

Kudo Shinichi was a rather clever young man, after all. He was the one that she had chosen herself to play an instrumental role in bringing everything to an end. The only child of her dear friend Yukiko- the human woman who had managed to catch her interest what felt like so many moons ago now. It was never quite _enough_ , never enough to sway Vermouth's heart- but it was enough to give her pause.

It wasn't until she met the Angel, really, that everything had changed.

"Is there any chance that you could tell us what that is, Vermouth?" Shinichi asked. "There's already been at least one murder because of these people, I'd rather end this before they can take deep root."

"They've already begun to take root, from the whispers I've heard. They approach humans under the guise of granting their dearest wishes- but I assume you've already figured out that much from the name alone." Vermouth told them- almost letting a measure of amusement escape from her lips as she watched the two young men before her take on near identical expressions. As different as their backgrounds were, it seemed that they had something in common. And even though Shinichi had declined to give her the young man's name, the low level devils that darted about her filled her in on that much.

Hattori Heiji, the only child of Hattori Heizo, the chief of police for the Osaka prefecture. And the son of that devil who had left her kind behind, falling in love with a human of all things- simply absurd, really, many thought. A traitor, even. Vermouth, though, understood such a thing a little better- though such feelings as love had never developed within her, she had grown deeply interested in the humans that she had met in these past twenty something years of her life. That one of their own kind could fall in love with one of them- it wasn't as absurd as it sounded at first.

The fact that they had gone so far as to create a testament of their union, however- a half human, half devil child, was a bit more surprising. Maybe in the past, before the masquerade had fallen, such a thing would have been fine- but now that all humanity knew the truth, circumstances had changed. Still, it _was_ very interesting. For bringing her this interesting sight alone, she was more than willing to help out the one that she had hand picked to be her Silver Bullet.

"Four." Vermouth said simply, closing her eyes as she listened to the faint buzzing of the voices of the low level devils that whisked about her, eager to please. "There are four high level devils in charge of this group, this _Foundation_ , as I hear they call themselves. West, east, north, and south- one for each area. And of course, there is one who stands above them is still likely far more powerful than the four themselves. Although the Foundation itself is rather new, those four have deep roots within the human world already, and are hiding themselves among them. I hear the one in charge of the east has quite a bit of influence amongst high circles, but I'm afraid I've heard no more than that."

"So, they've already spread all over the country, then?" Heiji muttered underneath his breath, his brows furrowing together, for a moment, almost forgetting where he was. He had suspected right from the start that this might be something big- but it appeared that he had somewhat underestimated the scale of it. Not only the west and the east, but the north and the south as well?

It appeared that this case might involve some traveling.

"Sounds like it." Shinichi said, his own brow furrowing in thought. "And if these devils are really well rooted amongst humans... that's going to be a pain."

"Well, perhaps they'll expose themselves if you bring that boy around with you." Vermouth observed, only the vaguest hint of amusement surfacing within her eyes. She knew full well just how much many of her kind reviled half bloods. At the way Heiji's attention snapped fully towards her, fury burning in his eyes at that statement, she knew that she said something that he didn't want her to.

But this situation was too much fun for her _not_ to do anything with. She might hold the half blood no real ill will- but there was only so much to entertain oneself with when you spent all of your days sealed away like this. One had to take what one got. After all, a half devil and an exorcist working side by side, with the latter unaware of the former, all while chasing an organization of devils- there was great entertainment value in that.

"Eh?" Shinichi blinked, glancing over towards Heiji, not missing the way his anger all but rolled off of him. "What do you mean by that?"

"It's nothin'!" Heiji snapped, glowering further towards Vermouth, silently warning her not to say anything more. Even in her sealed state, he didn't doubt that she was _still_ a good deal stronger than him- but that didn't mean a damn thing to him. He'd never let anything like that stop him before. "I don't know what this old lady's blabbin' on about, but she's probably just tryin' ta mess with ya, Kudo. I don't think Kudo's the type ta use someone as _bait_ ta begin with, ya hag."

An amused sneer crossed his face as the vaguest of twitches made it's way onto Vermouth's face at being addressed as a 'hag', but she otherwise maintained her coy smile. Just like a half blood to be so rude, really. "Really? But someone like you, who possesses no magic at all would make a rather tempting target for devils."

"Shut up." Heiji almost hissed, narrowing his eyes. At the very least, she hadn't said anything more about the real reason as to why he'd make good bait- but even _that_ was too much information. Turning sharply on his heel, deciding that he didn't want to hear anymore of this, and knowing full well that he needed to cool down, he headed for the exit. "Is that all? I don't think this old lady's gonna tell us anythin' else, Kudo, so we're just wastin' our time here!"

"Wait, Hattori!" Shinichi called after him, watching as he stormed out of the pathway, feeling a faint ripple as he passed through the barrier. Pausing to glance back at Vermouth, he gave her a rather sharp look. "What did you really mean by that, Vermouth?"

"Who knows. If he's not speaking about it, I suppose it's really not my place to tell." Vermouth said simply, closing her eyes. "But I'm surprised that you haven't noticed yourself, Kudo-kun. Or rather, I suppose that you _have_ noticed something. And that something is why you brought that child to me."

"I didn't want you to make him _angry_." Shinichi said shortly, narrowing his eyes. Well, even so, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't prepared for exactly that. Just as he thought from his exposure to it back in his office, Heiji had one _hell_ of a temper- it lashed out almost as if it were a living thing. "But I've got nothing more to say to you, if you can't tell me anything more about the Foundation."

"Do be careful though, Kudo-kun." Vermouth said simply, opening her eyes. "They appear to be a rather dangerous bunch, though perhaps not as much as _our_ ilk. Even I can't manage to take a guess at what their goals might be, nor who it is that's leading them. They must be a rather charismatic figure, however, to link together devils that powerful underneath their command."

"Just like _that person_?" Shinichi asked, leveling his gaze with her. At the slight way Vermouth narrowed her own, he couldn't help but feel the faintest of smirks gracing his lips. "Well, I keep your words in mind, Vermouth. Until next time."

With that said, Shinichi quickly made his way out of the barrier. He didn't miss the way Eisuke started when he came out, before letting out a slight breath. Following his gaze, he quickly caught sight of Heiji, still silently fuming, having taken a seat on a nearby rock, obviously trying to get his temper somewhat underneath control. Even as Eisuke closed the pathway once more, rendering the seal complete, the bespectacled exorcist glanced towards Shinichi with unease.

"That's a _human_ , right?" Eisuke asked, a note of hesitation on his face, keeping his voice low. "Or is he someone like my sister?"

"I don't really know." Shinichi admitted after a moment, heaving a long sigh. "That's what I'm trying to find out. You _will_ keep this to yourself though, won't you, Hondou? If someone like _that_ comes to the guild's attention..."

"You don't have to say it twice." Eisuke told him, giving him a reassuring smile. Granted, he wasn't quite sure what it was Shinichi was up to now, but he knew him well enough to trust him. "I owe you a favor for bringing my sister back to me, Shinichi-san. If it's just covering up the existence of one teenager, I think I can manage that much. But if you make Ran-san cry, I won't forgive you, you know."

"Don't tell me you're still hung up on her?" Shinichi asked, quirking a slight brow at the question, a hint of mirth to his voice. "I thought you had moved on, Hondou."

"I have. It's just the principle of the matter." Eisuke said simply. "You'd better go and tend to that one's temper. I swear I can almost see it coming off of him." He noted, squinting a little as he adjusted his glasses once more. "You sure know how to find some interesting people, Shinichi-san."

"You say that as if you're not one of them yourself, Hondou." Shinichi said simply, casting him one last look, before he took in and let out a deep breath, steeling himself for crossing words with what appeared to be a still rather angry Hattori Heiji. Whatever it was that Vermouth had meant by those things she had said, it had clearly bothered him- one needn't be a detective to tell that much.

"Hattori." Shinichi's voice spoke up, breaking the Osakan from his thoughts. Although there was still a hint of a glower in his eyes when he turned to look at him, eyes shaded by the brim of his baseball cap, it had slowly started to fade somewhat. At the very least, he didn't seem like the type to lash out with his temper towards someone who hadn't made him upset in the first place. "Are you alright?"

" _M'fine_." Heiji almost hissed, taking in and letting out a long breath, trying to steady his thoughts. In reality, he knew that reacting in such a way was only going to rouse Shinichi's suspicions in regards to him- but it wasn't like it was something that he could help. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he rose to his feet. "Is there anythin' else we have ta do here, Kudo? I'd like to leave now, if ya don't mind."

The mist, that had once been simply a minor irritation, was now starting to bother him more and more, as if sensing the blood that was boiling within him. The faint whisperings of the low level devils didn't help matters much either, nor were the taunts or abuses that they hurled his way, secure in the knowledge that without magic, there was nothing he could do against them.

Annoying little things.

"Sure." Shinichi said after a moment, casting a glance back towards Eisuke, giving him a nod of his head to indicate that they would be going now. "That's no problem, Hattori. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought you there."

"No, it's not yer fault, Kudo." Heiji forced out. He was the one who had agreed to go with him, after all- Shinichi had offered him plenty of times to turn back. "Yer not gonna ask, though?"

"I can sense that it's a testy subject, so no." Shinichi tactfully answered, watching as Heiji's blue eyes once again disappeared underneath the shadow of his cap. "Unless you want to talk about it, Hattori. If you're feeling bad about your lack of magical ability, you really shouldn't be. There are plenty of other-"

"I don't want ta talk about it." Heiji muttered, shooting him a look that clearly meant as a warning- one that caused Shinichi to very quickly snap his mouth shut, not wanting to rile him up any further. "If ya don't mind."

"Right. Of course." Shinichi said, giving him a curt nod of his head. "We'd better head back anyways. Now that we've gotten the information we've come here for, we had better start looking. If it's people with a great amount of influence in Tokyo, then I know someone who can help us start looking for this Eastern agent."

"Not another devil, I hope." Heiji asked dryly, no trace of amusement to his voice this time. What the hell did that woman think she was doing? He thought she wasn't going to say anything, and then she turned around and said something like that? What if that put ideas into his head? Sure, he doubted that they were ideas that Shinichi would act on so long as he still thought him completely human, but if he found out the truth...

No, it wouldn't be like that. Taking in and letting out another long breath, Heiji closed his eyes for a brief second, pushing aside such negative thoughts. He was the one who kept saying that he had faith in Shinichi- he had to put his money where his mouth was. If he couldn't fully trust the person that he was working with, it would only hinder their investigation.

"Hardly." Shinichi said with a slight laugh, hoping to clear away the tense air a little. "I've known her for about as long as Ran, although she's really more her best friend than mine. I'm sure you've heard of the Suzuki Group?"

"Yeah, I've heard of them." Heiji said, nodding his head, taking to the change of topic right away. "They've got a big museum in Osaka, even. What about them?"

"We're going to pay a quick visit to the second daughter of the current president of said group." Shinichi told him. "Well, although I suppose I should give you fair warning, Hattori. She might not be a devil, but she's quite the character in her own right."

"I'm startin' ta feel like all ya know are interestin' characters, Kudo." Heiji couldn't help but observe, feeling his anger cool even as he tilted his head a little, mentally observing that he himself probably fell into that category now.

"Well, you know what they say- you meet all kinds in this line of work." Shinichi said simply.

"As a detective, or an exorcist?" Heiji found himself asking once more.

"Both, really."


	6. Haibara Ai's Investigation

**AN** : And here's the sixth chapter, hot off the presses! Halloween is coming up, so I hope everyone who celebrates it has a good time. Anyways, thanks for reading, and don't forget to leave a review if you could be so kind!

Until next time!

* * *

 **Devils Bleed Black**

 **Chapter Six**

 **Haibara Ai's Investigation**

* * *

"Sorry, Ai-chan, but Shinichi's already left for the day." Normally she would be rather pleased to see the likes of Haibara Ai paying them a visit- but not when she had that kind of expression on her face. She had known the former devil woman long enough to know what that kind of expression usually meant. "Do you think I could leave a message for him for you? I don't really know when he'll be getting back, but it might not be until later this evening."

"No, it's fine. Just tell him I need to speak with him." Ai said, shaking her head. She knew full well what it was that Shinichi had likely headed out to do- he was doubtlessly already investigating that Wish Fulfillment Foundation he had spoken to her about the other day. While there was a chance that the strange behavior of Ayumi's tennis club senpai could have something to do with the aforementioned Foundation, there was also a chance it was just run of the mill devil trickery. "I'll come back later and speak with him then. I _do_ live just next door, after all."

In the meantime, she could look into the matter a bit herself, lay some groundwork. She might only have befriended them because of Shinichi in the first place, but she _was_ a proper member of the Detective Club, formerly the Detective Boys, after all.

"That's true." Ran said with a small smile. "Ah, but that's right, Ai-chan. We're actually looking after two people here for the next month or so, during summer break. I don't think there should be any problems, but I thought I should let you know."

"Relatives of yours?" Ai asked, blinking slightly at this information. If they were relatives of Ran, then they would have to be on her father's side of the family- her mother, after all, had nothing of the sort, at least not in the _traditional_ sense. "Or perhaps Kudo-kun's?"

"No, it's not that." Ran told her, shaking her head. "Actually, there's a high school detective from Osaka who has gotten interested in this case as well, and actually brought it up to Shinichi the other day. It looks like they'll be working together on it. While they look into it, he and his friend will be staying here with us."

"Another high school detective?" Ai asked, letting out a small snort, shaking her head. "I suppose there are always foolish young people like that around. But it's rare that Kudo-kun would let someone he doesn't know help him with a case like this so easily, assuming it's the one I'm thinking of. Does this high school detective know magic, perhaps?"

"I don't think so." Ran said with a slight frown. "Actually, he's a bit odd." She admitted after a moment. It was probably for the best that Kazuha was still holed up in her room at the moment, hard at work on the charm that she had asked her for. She didn't know how she would react to meeting someone like Ai- though, given the odd feeling that she got from her childhood friend, she couldn't help but wonder if it wouldn't quite be as negative as she was expecting it to be. "Ah, but don't tell him I said that if you see him! I don't mean it at all in a bad way, just..."

"I get a strange feeling from him." Ran confessed. Now that she thought about it, it wasn't entirely dissimilar to what she felt whenever Ai was around- although it wasn't _quite_ the same either. It wasn't like what she felt from the other two either. "I don't think he's a bad person, though."

"Well, if that's the case, then I think I can understand why Kudo-kun would want to keep tabs on him." Ai said after a moment, her brows furrowing together in thought. Still, it was a bit odd that he would allow someone who Ran could sense something from to live with them- but if he had passed through the barrier that surrounded the Kudo manor, he obviously _wasn't_ a devil. Aside from herself, there were only two other devils that Shinichi had granted permission to enter, that the barrier wouldn't hinder.

"But I'll keep that in mind, Ran-san." Ai told her, giving the woman a soft smile. "Well then, I have some things that I need to take care of myself, so I'll go ahead and take my leave." Giving her a quick bow, she turned on her heel, leaving the Kudo manor behind her, and heading next door, to where she still lived with the Professor that had taken her in all those years ago.

What a strange man he was, not even batting an eye at taking in someone like herself. Even though he understood that her true nature was that of a devil, even if she wasn't much of one anymore, he treated her as something akin to a granddaughter. Too kindhearted for his own good, some would say.

"Oh, Ai-kun, welcome back! You're a bit late." Agasa Hiroshi glanced up from what was doubtlessly his latest invention- not that she could tell what it was, not at this stage, at the very least. "You're a bit late today. Did something happen?"

"I stopped over by Kudo-kun's place for a bit." Ai told him, carefully taking off her shoes, leaving them behind in the entryway. Setting aside her schoolbag, she headed into the house proper. "I'm going to change my clothes and head out again in just a second though, Professor. I've got something that I need to look into."

"Some Detective Boys business?" Agasa asked, adjusting his safety goggles a bit.

"It's the Detective _Club_ now, Professor. We're proper middle school students now." Ai lightly corrected him. "And it's something like that. I should be home for dinner, though."

"Ah, that's right, you are." Agasa let out a small laugh. "It's easy to forget that sometimes. In my mind, the four of you are still just little children." It was especially easy to forget Ai's own less than human origins from time to time, especially after he had spent so long living with her- she wasn't any different to him than any other human was. He supposed in reality, she was actually far older than him, but for as long as he had known her, she had always taken on this form. "Do take care though, Ai-kun."

"I will." Ai promised him, sparing him a glance before heading downstairs, to where their living space was. Quickly changing out of her school uniform and into some less attention catching street clothes, she tucked a hat low over her brow, carefully tucking her hair into it. It would serve as a somewhat decent disguise, for the time being.

If this really did turn out to involve the Foundation that Shinichi was looking into now, then she would cut her investigation short and return home. She didn't have much magic left now, and she wasn't about to put herself at risk over something like this. And if it _was_ just simple run of the mill devil's work- well, she knew the phone number of the local exorcist's guild rather well. They could handle it just as well as Shinichi could, and Ayumi would be delighted to have her precious senpai back, safe and sound.

There was no need for her to get too deeply involved.

"Then, Professor, I'm heading out again." Ai told him as she came back up the stairs, glancing over towards the gray haired man. "I'll call you if anything comes up."

"Got it." The professor nodded his head, giving her a smile. "Good luck on your investigation, Ai-kun. If you get into any trouble, you know you can always call Shinichi as well."

"He's out right now, according to his wife." Ai told him, reaching into her schoolbag and pulling out her badge, twirling the old thing between her fingers, before she tucked it back away into her pocket, just in case. "Ah, that's right. Ran-san told me that they're going to be looking after two guests for around a month. They're both from Osaka, I believe she said. I thought I should mention it."

"Oh, I'll be sure to keep that in mind then!" With a nod of his head, Agasa turned back to the project that he was working on, studying it with a frown. "Then, I'll see you around dinner time, Ai-kun. I'm making curry tonight!"

"Again?" Ai asked, heaving a slight sigh. "Well, that's fine. Be sure to properly balance the ratio of meat and vegetables this time though, Professor. The doctor said that lately you haven't been eating enough of them."

With a wave of her hand, Ai dismissed the professor's grumbling, and headed out the door. Glancing down at her watch, she mentally calculated the amount of time it would take her to get back to school- there should be plenty of time left to arrive back there before the tennis club finished their practice for the day. From there on, she would follow this Takashita boy and see exactly what it was that he was up to. What happened from there would depend entirely on his actions.

At the very least, Ayumi had come to her about this matter, rather than try and deal with it herself. If it had been Genta, or perhaps even Mitsuhiko, depending on the circumstances, they might have tried to look into the matter themselves, potentially putting themselves at risk. Even if that Foundation wasn't involved, it was too dangerous of an ordinary human to be involved with devils. She wanted to keep Ayumi- and the other two members of the Detective Club, far away from that sort of thing.

Well, she paused, a hint of a smile appearing on her face- at the very least, far away from devils other than _herself_.

* * *

"Whatever it is that you need from me, Shinichi, you'd better hurry up with it. I've got somewhere to be right about now, after all."

"It's nice to see you again too, Sonoko." Shinichi dryly responded, fighting the urge to heave an exasperated sigh. He had known Suzuki Sonoko all of his life, but they weren't exactly what he would call super close- she had always been more of Ran's friend than his own, though the two of them generally got along decently enough. Now that they had long since graduated high school, the two of them didn't see each other that often anymore- Ran was always the one making plans with her, plans which usually didn't include him.

"Oh? I see you brought an unfamiliar face with you this time." Impatient tone lost from her voice the moment that she noticed that he wasn't alone, Sonoko's gaze trailed down towards the young man who had remained seated on the couch. "I haven't seen you around before. Did you hire an assistant or something, Shinichi?"

" _Hah_?" Clearly taking offense to that, Heiji jolted to his feet, glowering at the girl. It wasn't anything close to the almost visible fury that he had exuded earlier in the day, after their visit with Vermouth- more like a minor annoyance than anything. "Who's an _assistant_!?"

"Now, now, calm down, Hattori." Shinichi said, glancing over towards the younger boy, giving him a quick smile. "I'm sure Sonoko didn't mean anything by it." Turning back to Sonoko, he gave her a warning look to not tease him, something which he couldn't help but feel he was doing in vain. "This is Hattori Heiji, he's a high school detective. He's helping me with a recent case that I've been working on."

" _Another_ high school detective?" Sonoko asked, turning a rather skeptical gaze towards Heiji, quickly looking him up and down, before heaving a long sigh. "I suppose there's always mystery idiots like that in every generation." She said after a moment- before a twinkling hint of mischief surfaced in her eyes, causing Shinichi to fight back a groan. "Don't tell me that you became a detective because you admired our Heisei Holmes here~?"

" _Hah_?! Who said anythin' about somethin' like that?" Heiji quickly protested, the faint pink tint of his cheeks betraying his words, something which Sonoko quickly caught, her smile quickly growing all the more amused. "This guy's got _nothin_ ' ta do with it!"

"Oh, I'm _quite_ sure that he doesn't, Hattori-kun~." Sonoko teased him, badly concealing her smile behind her hand, letting out a slight chuckle, all worries about time for the moment forgotten. What an interesting kid! Finally recalling the other thing that Shinichi had told her, she turned his gaze back towards him, raising her brows. "But another case? It's unusual that would bring you to my doorstep like this. Do you need me for something?"

"It would seem so." Shinichi told her, sparing a brief glance back towards Heiji, fighting the urge to grin at the way he was still glowering at the heiress. He really was a temperamental one, wasn't he? "More precisely, we need your connections, Sonoko. We're looking for someone in your parent's circles, and I'm afraid as well known as my reputation is, it's not quite enough to get me in with that sort of folk."

Well, frankly, that was a good thing. He'd long since come to understand that he really didn't like dealing with those sorts of people. Sparing another glance back towards Heiji, he somehow got the feeling that he would be even worse at it.

"Looking for someone? That's pretty vague, for you." Sonoko blinked, a frown crossing her face. "You got any specifics to go along with that?"

"Other than the fact that he's probably fairly influential, and perhaps a bit eccentric, not much." Shinichi confessed, shaking his head. "Actually, there's a high chance that the person we're looking for might not actually be a _person_ , per say."

"Not a person?" Sonoko asked, before the meaning of his words slowly sunk into her. Narrowing her eyes, she put a hand to her chin in thought. She knew full well that Shinichi worked as an exorcist- rather, she had learned about that much even before Ran had, though it had been by complete chance. Becoming an exorcist just so he could protect Ran- even she had to admit that was rather romantic. "So in another words, you're saying that you're looking for a devil?"

"That's pretty much it." Shinichi told her, nodding his head. "Do you have any ideas? Maybe there's someone who has recently entered those circles here that stands out to you?" In spite of her personality, Sonoko usually had a pretty good insight for things like this- given the nature of their shared childhood friend, he supposed that she had naturally developed it to protect Ran in her own way.

"Now that you mention it..." Trailing off a little, Sonoko's brow furrowed in thought. "There is a pretty odd father and daughter combination that I've met lately. How do I say it... there was something about them that gave me the creeps, as pretty as the daughter was. Well," pausing to give him a small smile. "They probably could just be unsociable, though. Ah, but besides them, you know how the youngest daughter of the Takabe Group got married recently? Her husband's a bit weird."

"Do ya think you could introduce us to the three of them?" Heiji spoke up, having apparently gotten over his annoyance towards the woman- for the most part, at least.

"It's possible." Sonoko said, nodding her head. "Actually, my father's throwing a party this weekend, in honor of my older sister's fifth wedding anniversary. The people that I mentioned before are all invited, and will probably show up. If you'd like, I can get the two of you some invitations. I can introduce you to all three of them at once then. I can get one for Ran too, if you want."

"That would be a great help, Sonoko." Shinichi told her, before pausing for a moment, backtracking on his words a little. "Ah, but could you perhaps get four of them? Hattori, do you want to bring Kazuha-san along with you?"

"Kazuha?" Heiji blinked, folding his arms in front of his chest, giving it some thought. A party full of rich folks, with one of them possibly being a dangerous devil- it might actually be a good idea to have Kazuha tag along with him. "Yeah, sure. She likes parties. I think she'd actually be quite happy ta go."

"Four invitations it is then!" Sonoko nodded her head, beaming brightly. "I'll have them mailed to your place by tomorrow. Is there anything else though? Like I said earlier, I've got somewhere else to be right now." A slight frown crossing her face as she seemed to consider something, a rather sly smile spread out across it. "Rather, why don't you come with me, Shinichi? You as well, Hattori-kun. For detectives like yourselves, it will probably be rather fun~."

"I'm not going to the Kid heist, Sonoko." Shinichi told her sharply, looking her square in the eyes. It wasn't that hard to guess what it was she was in a hurry to get to, even though there were several hours yet before the scheduled time that Kid had announced in his heist notice. "It's bad enough when your uncle drags me along with his challenges, even if he _does_ pay well. I've got no interest in chasing that guy beyond that. Besides, I'm busy."

"As usual, you're no fun." Sonoko almost pouted, putting her hands on her hips, turning towards Heiji. "What about you, Hattori-kun? I can give you a lift there if you want to ditch the Holmes freak here. Are _you_ interested in trying to catch the likes of Kaito Kid? Well, not that you could, though. Even Kudo-kun here can't manage to catch his tail. That's probably why he's running scared now."

"I'm not-!" Shinichi opened his mouth to protest, before cutting himself off, narrowing his eyes. He wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of taunting him.

"What, that gaudy thief?" Heiji asked, letting out a small snort. Of course he'd heard of the guy- it was hard to miss him, given that ridiculous white suit that he ran around in, and the flashy magic tricks that went along with it. The fact that that's all they were in the end- magic tricks- did catch his interest a little, but not nearly enough for him to actually be _interested_ in him. "I've got no interest in that type. Rather, aren't ya a bit too _old_ ta be interested in him?"

"And a bit too _engaged_?" Shinichi asked, quirking a brow, not missing the very visible twitch that crossed Sonoko's face at the mention of her being anything like being _old_. "You're getting married to Kyogoku-san next month, aren't you? You sure don't act like it sometimes."

"Listen, just because I'm engaged, doesn't mean I'm _blind_. I'm perfectly loyal to Makoto, but that doesn't mean that I can't _appreciate_ a pretty face when I see one." Sonoko pointed out, shooting Shinichi a dirty look, before shaking her head, heaving a sigh. "I don't understand how it is you fail to see the appeal of Kid. A gallant thief in white that nobody can catch- how can there possibly be a girl in her right mind that wouldn't be interested in someone like that?!"

"You don't even know what Kid _looks_ like, Sonoko." Shinichi pointed out, something which the heiress waved off. Rather, he was pretty certain that the current Kaito Kid was not the same one who had disappeared from the world stage years ago- if anything, he was pretty certain that the current Kid was a good deal _younger_ than him. Maybe around college age, he thought- or perhaps even younger, around Heiji's age.

"Well, I suppose I can't expect you to understand. You're just _Shinichi_ , after all." Heaving a long sigh, Sonoko simply shook her head. "At any rate, if that's all you need me for, I'll be on my way then. Remember that the offer is still open though if you change your mind about coming." With a wave of her hand, she quickly dismissed herself, leaving the two detectives behind.

"Well," Heiji began, tilting his head to the side. "Ya were right about her bein' quite the character. If she's so into Kid anyways, why is she invitin' detectives ta catch him in the first place?"

"That's just what she's like." Shinichi told him, shrugging his shoulders. "She's been that way ever since I can remember, really."

"Sounds troublesome." Heiji observed. "But at the very least, we've got a place ta start lookin'. If it all works out well, we might even be able ta get the bastard ta give up the locations of the other three, right? I'm especially interested in the asshole that's set himself up in the west- thinkin' that he can just mess around as he likes in my territory. He sure has a lot of nerve!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Hattori." Shaking his head, Shinichi cast a curious look down towards him. If there was one thing that he didn't doubt, it was the fact that Heiji's rather intense dislike for devils was the real deal. More than likely, that too, was tied to whatever secret that the dark skinned youth was keeping. "Even if we really do run into the devil in question at the party, we can't just recklessly corner them. We could put everyone around us in danger if we did something like that. You should leave that part to me."

Not liking the tone with which he was being spoken to in, Heiji glowered up towards the older man, before heaving a long sigh, rubbing the back of his head. As much as he hated to admit it, he had a point- getting his assistance as an exorcist was why he had approached Shinichi about this case in the first place. As confident as he was in his physical strength, he was pretty much done for if he faced down a devil with strong magic. Having no magical ability also meant that he had no magic resistance of his own. "I got it, I got it. If we manage ta find that bastard, I'll leave ya ta do yer thing, Kudo."

Although if the devil they were looking for decided that it wanted to corner him in turn, there was nothing he could do about that. If they really were going to do this, then he needed to be pretty careful himself- one wrong step, and his own secret might be revealed instead. Having it be exposed to Shinichi would be one thing, but he had to avoid the truth being exposed in public at any costs. Given the fact that this devil was trying to infiltrate human society, he doubted that should be a problem, but...

It would pay to keep his guard up. Having Kazuha around with him at this party might really be a good idea, after all.

* * *

No obvious irregularities during tennis club practice. Narrowing her eyes and turning her attention towards the tennis club's clubroom, Ai carefully strained her ears, trying to listen for any unusual sounds. This too was uneventful, and it wasn't long before the one that she had found herself following this late afternoon, which was already starting to turn into early evening, came down the stairs from the clubroom, having changed back into his school uniform, a sports bag slung over one shoulder.

Of course, she had made sure to do some other scouting before this, working to gather information about the target. Takashita Asuya, a third year student at Teitan Junior High School, and the tennis club's ace. Made decent grades, had a rather expected active social life, no obvious problems at home, at least, not that any of this fellow students had noticed. If a devil really was targeting him, it opened up the question of what exactly they were going after- he didn't exactly seem like the type who would normally be targeted by a devil's temptation.

When it came teenagers, they usually aimed for those who were struggling, be it from academics, lack of athletic ability or talent, or with friendship, their home life, or love. Bullied students were a popular choice as well, although usually the signs of devil involvement were the most obvious with them. Takashita Asuya fit none of these categories, and that alone was more than enough to catch her interest. She didn't doubt what Ayumi had claimed to see- just because one seemed to have a perfect life on the surface, didn't mean that there weren't cracks underneath.

Pulling out her phone as he passed her by, Ai busied herself with playing with it, playing the role of someone waiting for their friend to get out of club. It was only once he turned the corner that she tucked her phone back away, and carefully began following after him, keeping her steps silent. It was a trick that she hadn't forgotten how to do from her days as a full fledged devil, and whether she wanted them or not, she had gotten an endless amount of tips from Shinichi in the past on how to follow people without them noticing anything.

Frankly, she still wasn't very interested in the whole detective thing. The only reason that she went along with it most days was because it was what the other three wanted- and she couldn't help but worry that if she left them on their own, they would quickly get in over their heads. They were smart, and were gaining experience in their own right, especially now that the former linchpin of their group, Edogawa Conan, had vanished forever. But they were still middle school students, and from time to time, they would get carried away and nearly forget such an important thing.

Well, today's investigation was being done for the sake of her worried friend, so it was an exception. Who would have ever thought that she would have grown so attached to human children? Maybe being mostly human now herself had swayed her heart towards them- but she knew even before then, her heart had swayed towards humanity. Ever since the day she crossed paths with Miyano Akemi, everything had changed.

She would probably be proud of her now, were she still alive.

Still alive... bringing back the dead was another possibility, Ai thought to herself, eyes fixed on the back of the tennis player. It didn't have to be another human- there were any number of humans who would do anything to even have their pets revived from the dead. That said, she didn't know if anyone in Asuya's life had recently passed away, be they human or animal. It was also possible that the devil involved was taking advantage of his desire to help someone else in his life, be they a friend or a relative.

Devils like that were the lowest of the low. Taking advantage of those with selfish wishes was one thing, but even when she didn't think of herself as an ally to humans, she still detested that sort. Using an earnest desire to help those around you against you, to twist your soul with a pure wish... that was the worst.

Whatever category Takashita Asuya fell in, it didn't really matter to her. It might be useful information to pass along to Shinichi, or whatever exorcist it was that she decided to get into contact with provided that it wasn't a job requiring the former, so she would at least keep an ear out for it. But all she needed to establish now was a confirmation that he was involved with devils somehow, and how it was that they were making contact with him. Based on what Ayumi had described to her, it sounded like he was being lured to them, probably by magic, but spells like that usually had some kind of external trigger of some kind.

Finding and destroying that trigger was the quickest way to cut off communication between human and devil- even she could manage that much, but it wasn't always that easy. They didn't always take the most obvious form. According to Ayumi, it didn't appear as if he had gotten any new accessories lately, so it probably wasn't something that he was wearing on his person, at the very least.

With a slight frown, Ai placed a hand on her chin, her thoughts flashing back to the strange business card that Shinichi had shown her the other day. There had been the lingering remnants of a spell cast on it- it wasn't impossible that the spell was a luring spell. Still, that wouldn't explain why they had kept it on them long after their wish had obviously been granted- so to speak- as there would no longer be any need to.

Perhaps there was more than one spell cast on the card? Discerning that sort of thing after the fact was rather difficult, even for a skilled magic user. If the other spell was used to erase memories, then...

Well, doubtlessly Shinichi had already thought about this himself, but on the off chance that he hadn't, she would bring it up with him later. Now hardly was the time to think about such a thing though, she thought to herself, carefully observing Takashita Asuya's movements. As he headed into a convenience store, she came to a stop, narrowing her eyes as he watched him head to a rack of magazines, picking on up.

"Leisurely looking at magazines after practice... how normal." Ai mumbled to herself, watching as he flipped through the pages. So far, she hadn't noticed any _obvious_ signs of devil involvement- but such things weren't always easy to spot.

It was a sports magazine, as she expected. If she recalled correctly, the tennis club had a tournament coming up soon- maybe the devil had been tempting him in regards to that? It was highly likely. Aside from Asuya himself, Teitan Junior High's tennis club frankly wasn't very good- at least the boy's team wasn't. The girl's team was faring quite a bit better.

If this guy was the type to feel insulted by the girl's team doing better than the boy's team, she was going to _definitely_ advise Ayumi in no uncertain terms that no matter how cool he looked, he wasn't a guy worth her time. She could do _a lot better_ than someone like that.

That was when it hit her, like a wave of overpowering sickness. Placing a hand against the wall to steady herself, Ai found herself instinctively searching around, trying to find what the source of this overpowering aura was. It had been some time since she had felt an aura like this- in a way, it almost reminded her of the aura that a member of _that_ Organization would give off, but at the same time, it wasn't quite like that.

Different, but in a way she couldn't quite place. The direction of it was...

And then, as soon as it had come, it was gone. Finding herself breathing easy again, Ai drew in a long breath, steadying herself. It didn't appear as if anyone else had noticed the aura, but...

That was when the scream hit her ears. As if by instinct, she looked up, turning to where just a moment ago, Takashita Asuya had been browsing through a magazine. His figure was no longer there- and as she swore underneath her breath, quickly making her way into the store, she realized it wasn't because he left.

Collapsed on the floor, his eyes blank and unresponding, a sports magazine fallen to the ground next to him, opened to an article on tennis rackets, was Takashita Asuya. Vaguely hearing the woman that had screamed call out that someone need to call an ambulance, Ai swallowed, taking a slight step back.

What the hell had just happened?

* * *

"Hm?" Recognizing the ring tone that was playing as the one he had associated with the number of Ai's cellphone, Shinichi frowned, wondering what it was that she could be calling him about at this hour. That girl wasn't the type to call him unless something had happened. Glancing over towards the Osakan detective seated next to him in the car, he slowly pulled it to the side of the road, out of the way of passing traffic. "Sorry, Hattori, I have to take this."

"No worries, Kudo." Heiji said simply, lifting a hand, unable to help but notice the slightly urgent note to his voice. Watching as Shinichi pulled his cellphone out of his pants pockets, he frowned a little, deciding to put his good ears to good use.

"What is it, Haibara?" Briefly sparing Heiji another glance, before he focused at the caller on the other end of the line, he narrowed his eyes, faintly making out the sound of sirens on the other end of the phone. Had the Detective Boys gotten mixed up in something beyond their ability again?

"There's trouble, Kudo-kun." Keeping her voice steady, Ai carefully watched as the ambulance medics loaded the prone body of the tennis player onto the stretcher. He was still alive, at the very least, but he wasn't responding to anything. "I need you to come to Beika Hospital right away."

"Beika Hospital? What's wrong? Did someone get hurt?" Shinichi asked, letting his worry surface in his voice. Ai didn't sound particularly worried or panicked herself- but that was also just the way that she was. "Are the Detective Boys alright?"

"They have nothing to do with this." Ai told him. "But whatever it is that you're investigating now might. A young man with no obvious health issues suddenly collapsed in front of my eyes, and is currently unresponsive to everything. Shortly before that happened, I felt a rather overwhelming aura." Watching the ambulance doors shut behind the medics, her frown deepened. "In the first place, I was following him because Ayumi-chan came to me worried about him- it would appear that she saw something rather strange the other day, and wanted to ask me to ask you to look into the matter."

"I got it." Shinichi said, nodding his head. "Where are you now, Haibara? I'll come pick you up right away, and we'll go to the hospital together. Are you fine?"

"I'm fine. I'm at the convenience store that's closest to Teitan Junior High right now. How far away are you?" She asked. It might be faster for her to just head to the hospital on her own, if he was too far away. There was no way that the medics would let her ride in the ambulance with Asuya, considering that she didn't know him at all- and it would be pretty tough to explain to them why she had been following him in the first place.

"Luckily, I'm pretty close." Shinichi told her, briefly sparing another glance towards Heiji. He couldn't bring him with her to meet Ai- not under circumstances like these. He did want the two of them to meet eventually, but not like this. Given Vermouth's strange reaction to him, he didn't want to risk throwing Ai off. For that matter, he didn't want to risk throwing _Heiji_ off again either. "I'll be there in a few minutes to pick you up. Wait for me, Haibara."

With that, he closed his phone, tucking it back away. "Sorry, Hattori. I'm going to need to drop you off at the manor. Something came up with a friend of mine."

"It sure sounds like it." Heiji observed, quirking a brow. Of course, he had heard the entire conversation- that voice on the other end of the line... it had sounded at once strangely mature, and yet still rather young. And what she had told him caught his interest right away- if this was something that related to their current investigation, why was he in such a hurry to chase him out now?

As much as that kind of pissed him off, he got a sense that now wasn't the time to put up a fight about it. Pick your battles, and all that. "We're pretty close ta yer place anyways, aren't we? I can walk from here. Whatever's goin' on, ya need ta get there as soon as possible, don't ya?"

"Yeah, I do. Sorry." Shinichi apologized once again, grateful that he was being so understanding. Still, there was something about the glint in his eyes that bothered him- he was certain that he didn't say anything in his words to Ai that would have roused any suspicions from him, though. "That would be a huge help."

"Think nothin' of it, Kudo." Unlocking the car door and opening it up, Heiji stepped outside, flashing him a wide grin, leaning down so that he could peer in underneath the car's frame. "What can't be helped, can't be helped. Then, I'll see ya later. I'll tell Neechan that ya had some kind of issue crop up fer ya, so don't worry about it."

Standing back up straight and shutting the car door, Heiji gave the older detective a mock salute, his grin not leaving his face until Shinichi's car was already out of sight. Once it vanished from his line of vision, his smile quickly faded, his eyes sharply narrowing as he stepped over to the sidewalk, tucking his hands inside of his pockets. Something about this wasn't right... just as he thought, Shinichi definitely must have had some kind of suspicions about him.

And he got the strange feeling that he almost didn't want to let him meet this _Haibara_ person he had been talking to over the phone. From the sound of her voice, she was probably still a fairly young girl, but... something about the way she spoke didn't add up to that. Well, still, there were plenty of children who were rather mature for their age, so perhaps it was simply a case of that.

Just like he was hiding things from Shinichi, he was definitely starting to get the feeling that Shinichi was hiding a few things from him. Brows furrowing in thought, mind darting back to the odd 'silver bullet' comment that Vermouth had made earlier, he couldn't help but wonder what kind of secrets that the exorcist detective was hiding himself.

But even _more_ troubling was what this Haibara person had described over the phone. For some reason, it tugged at some faint corner of his memory, as if he had heard about something like this before. And if it was something related to devils, then... Reaching into his pocket, Heiji pulled out his own cellphone, quickly plugging in a number.

"Mom? I've got somethin' I need ta ask ya about."


	7. Things That Creep in Broad Daylight

**AN** : Oh hey look, it's the next chapter! Also, I suppose I should start giving people a bit of a heads up- I'll be heading out on a short vacation from the 14th to the 16th and will be in a place with limited internet access. So there might not been any updates of any of my fics during that time. Anyways, thanks for reading as always, and please leave a review if you can!

Until next time!

* * *

 **Devils Bleed Black**

 **Chapter Seven**

 **Things That Creep in Broad Daylight**

* * *

"This is the first time that you've called me since you got to Tokyo, and you don't even bother to say _hello_." Shizuka's long suffering sigh was as clear as day on the other end of the phone, doubtlessly wondering where it was that her son had picked up his less than stellar manners from.

Groaning a little, Heiji rolled his eyes. For a devil, his mother could be surprisingly strict on manners. Besides, it hadn't even been a day yet! " _Hello_. Now, mom, let's focus on the issue at hand here. I got somethin' that I need ta talk ta ya about." Taking in his surroundings, he turned down the first empty alley that he found, leaning against the wall. There was a chance that he might be speaking of things that he wouldn't want people to overhear, after all.

"Very well. What's the matter, Heiji?" Shizuka asked. "That _Kudo Shinichi_ boy hasn't done anything to you, has he?"

"Of course not." Heiji said shortly. "He's really not that bad, mom." He had, after all, invited him to live with him and his half-angel wife, in spite of doubtlessly already having suspicions of him. That in itself was pretty telling. Well- he probably shouldn't mention the _half-angel wife_ part to his mother. "Anyways, that's beside the point. I haven't had a chance ta see the victim in question myself yet, an' only heard about it secondhand," by unintentionally eavesdropping, he didn't feel inclined to note, "...but somethin' strange happened over here."

"Well, given what you're investigating, I'd say that something strange happening would be matter of course." Shizuka said simply. "But do go on. If it's _me_ you're calling and not your father, I've got a feeling I can guess what it's related to."

"That's right." Nodding his head, Heiji's eyes narrowed. "Apparently just after have sensed a powerful aura, the one who had been watchin' our victim claims that he suddenly collapsed without warnin'. He's still alive, apparently, but he's completely unresponsive ta anythin' an' everythin' from the sound of it. In the first place, the person who was watchin' him was apparently doin' so because she suspected that he might be havin' some kinda devil trouble in the first place."

"I see." Shizuka frowned. "That does sound like something within my area of expertise. There are several possibilities that I can think of, though frankly, I would like a little bit more information than what you've given me to go off of. Are you going to be able to see the victim for yourself soon?"

"No." Heiji said frankly, deciding to leave out the fact that he'd basically been kicked out of Shinichi's car. Well, that said, it wasn't impossible that he might have a chance to either see the victim himself later, or at the very least, hear about the matter after the fact from Shinichi. "There's still a chance that I might, but..."

Well, perhaps there really was no need to contact his mother to ask her thoughts on the matter, but on the off chance that Shinichi couldn't figure out what happened, his mother probably would. Still, that did provide the challenge of trying to provide such information to Shinichi after the fact, if that ended up being the case- there was no way he could leave his investigative partner in the dark, but he also didn't want to make himself more suspicious than he probably already seemed.

"I see." With a slight sigh, Shizuka pursed her lips together. "There's a chance that his soul might have been stolen, based on the way you described it. If that's the case, then it might be in preparation for a devil to take root inside of his body. Unlike normal possession, the devil holds full control of the body and can do whatever they want with it. If the proper procedures are set in place beforehand, then they can even slip through barriers to get into the body."

"Well, there's a chance that they might want to simply turn the body into a puppet. I've heard of things like that happening as well." Shizuka told him, a slight frown on her face. "I've done that once myself in the past, and if that's the case, whoever is responsible for it must have a pretty high magical ability. I'm pretty confident in my own magic, but even I had trouble controlling it. Well, that was two hundred years ago, though."

"Well, there's also the chance that they might have just needed his soul for something." Shizuka added, almost as an afterthought. "If that's the case, then I doubt this would be the only occurrence of such an event. There would probably be others in the area who are experiencing the same condition."

"The soul, huh?" Heiji muttered, narrowing his eyes. "That's definitely not good. Well, not that anythin' ever is, when it involves devils. Present company excluded, of course." He added, a quick grin crossing his face. "Is there anythin' that can be done fer him?"

"If the soul can be recovered, then he should be able to recover." Shizuka said simply. "Provided that it hasn't been damaged in any way. Aside from that... well, perhaps it would be better to leave such a thing to that _exorcist_ ," and there was a clear hint of venom in her voice as she spoke, "...that you're working with. Dealing with souls when you have no magical power of your own isn't impossible, but it might be better to leave it to someone who does have it."

"Well, at the very least, I can look into the matter." Heiji said simply. Thankfully, that girl had mentioned where she had been when she had called, and he could probably more or less figure out where that was. He could start looking into the matter there, while Shinichi looked into the matter at the hospital. "Thank ya, mom."

"Stay safe, Heiji." Shizuka said. "Not just from that exorcist, but from whatever it is that you're dealing with here. If they're really dealing with souls in their whole form, then there's no doubt that they're up to something very troubling. Devils might taint human souls, but stealing them is another matter entirely. Even amongst us, it isn't something that's done lightly."

"That much at least, I know." Heiji told her, placing a hand to his chin in thought, his brows furrowing together. Well, whatever these bastards were planning, if they were related to this case- and his instincts were telling him that were- they could bring it on. As long as he shared blood with them, there was no way he would let them get away so freely with things like this. "I'll be fine, mom. I'm pretty tough, after all!"

"I suppose that much is true." Shizuka said, a slight smile working it's way onto her face. "Don't forget to call me sometimes, Heiji. You know I worry about you being all the way out there, and staying with an exorcist at that."

"I will, I will." Heiji quickly promised her. Well, he'd probably forget though. He was great at memorizing things when it came to lines of codes or facts that might be important later, but when it came to things in his personal life, he was pretty bad at that. _Maybe_ he should work on that. Maybe. Another day, though.

"Then later, mom. I have an investigation ta conduct."

* * *

"You really keep that in your _car_?"

Casting a rather dry expression towards the mask that Shinichi had produced from his car's storage, she soon turned such an expression back towards him. Just as he had promised, he had quickly come to pick her up. For a moment, as she slid into his car, she got a faint feeling that something else had been in here with him, and when she inquired about it, he had told her with quite a bit of frankness that it was the high school detective that he had ended up working with on this case. He didn't look surprised in the least when he heard that Ran had already told her about him.

She too, seemed to understand why it was that he'd decided to leave him behind before coming to meet her. Judging from what Ran had told her earlier in the day, about the strange feeling that she got from him, perhaps Shinichi was well aware of such a thing himself, and didn't want the two of them meeting just yet. She couldn't deny that it piqued her curiosity. She would have to ask about it more when she got the chance.

"It's a spare, actually." Shinichi remarked, carefully placing it over his face. As much as their masks were used to make them unrecognizable, they could also be used in lieu of a formal badge, and could grant them entry into various places. "You never know what's going to happen in my line of work, after all. It's always good to be prepared. Besides, given what you described, this'll get us access to the victim much faster than my police ties."

"I suppose that's true." Ai said, heaving a long sigh. "But if the guild gets involved with this, I'm sure you know to keep me out of it, correct?" Placing her hands on her hips, she sent the now masked exorcist a rather challenging look. "I might not be much of one anymore, but I doubt the guild would overlook me if they knew about my existence."

"I know." Shinichi quickly promised her, lips twisting into a smile. "I wouldn't let anything like that happen to you, Haibara. Now, do you want to come with me? You can always stay by the car if you're feeling uncomfortable."

"No, I'll come with you. As embarrassing as it is to be walking around with a _masked man_." Ai said, shaking her head. "It might be good for you to get a second opinion."

Brushing off her rather barbed quip, Shinichi simply opened the door to his car, tucking his keys away. "A second opinion from a devil, I take it."

"There's no need to say aloud when we both know what I meant." Ai said simply, opening up the car door on her side, slipping out of it. "At any rate, I'm almost certain that this matter has something to do with devils. If that's the case, there's probably not all that much that human doctors can do for this Takashita-san, other than monitor his condition. I didn't notice any abnormalities with his breathing or heartbeat, at the very least, so I don't think that his life should be in danger. That said, I didn't get the chance to look over him very well at the time, not with all those other people around."

"But well, if he doesn't regain awareness, it's possible that could change." She added simply, turning a grim expression towards the hospital. Even from this distance, she could almost feel it crackle against her skin- the desperation and the hope alike that was contained within the building. The perfect hunting ground for a devil, which was why there wasn't a hospital in the world that hadn't equipped themselves with a proper barrier since the revelation of the truth happened.

It had been such a big deal back when the first hospital made a pact with an exorcist to have one installed, so to think that now such a thing was commonplace- how the times had changed. The world had come to accept the existence of such things as devils and what they had come to call angels, to the point that the children of today didn't even question such a thing. Only the oldest would still remember the world from before the masquerade fell apart. It had been a very different time.

"Here." Shinichi spoke up, offering her his hand. Although he knew being a near human now meant that she could more or less pass through even barriers that didn't permit her entry, he also knew that it still hurt. The fact that she was coming in with him was testament to how involved she was making herself with this matter- in the back of his mind, he couldn't help if it was for no reason more complex than the fact that this was the boy that Ayumi apparently had a crush on these days. She had told him that much in the car on the way over, detailing to him all the facts that she hadn't been able to tell him during their brief phone call.

"I'm not a child, you know." Ai said lightly, heaving a sigh. Still she accepted his hand, locking her own with his. Taking a deep breath, she felt the barrier crackle lightly over her skin as she passed through it, but thanks to their connected hands, it didn't cause her the pain that it normally would. Only a faint unpleasantness.

Of course, the moment she was through, she tore her hand away from Shinichi, as if she were touching hot coals. There _surely_ had to be a less embarrassing method.

As they strode into the hospital, the nurse at the reception desk took one look at Shinichi's mask, and slowly seemed to come to an understanding as to why he might be here. While Ai's presence by his side gave her a moment of pause, she quickly brushed it off, doubtlessly assuming the girl might be an apprentice of some kind. "If you're looking for the young man who was just rushed in here, he's currently being examined by doctors. Should I inform them that you're here?"

"Please do." Shinichi said simply, nodding his head. Placing a hand on Ai's head, he ignored the glower that action got him. "This girl witnessed what happened, and claims that she believes it might very well be the work of a devil. Since I happen to be rather well acquainted with her, I decided to come and look into the matter myself."

"I understand." The nurse nodded. "I'll inform the doctors right away. Please wait here for a moment, sir exorcist."

She didn't ask for his name- people generally knew better than to ask for an exorcist's name. While Shinichi was a bit more free with such information himself than others in his line of work, some of whom were so secretive that not even their own spouses knew about it, he still wasn't willing to give out his name to just _anyone_.

When the nurse returned after a few moments, she gave him a polite, if not somewhat nervous smile. "The doctors have made arrangements for you to see the patient. He's on the first floor emergency ward, at the very back, in the room to the right. They've ensured that you can have some privacy with the patient, should you need it."

"Thank you." Inclining his head towards her, Shinichi glanced over towards Ai, who nodded her head. Falling into step behind him, the two of them headed towards the young man's hospital room, passing by the nervous looking doctors who had clustered just a bit outside of it. Only once he had firmly closed the door behind him, did he reach up, taking off his mask, setting it aside for the moment.

"Well?" Noticing out of the corner of his eye that Ai had already begun checking out the body, carefully checking for his basic vitals first. "Do you notice anything, Haibara?"

"It's just as I thought." Ai said, pulling open the young man's eyes, glancing into them, a deep frown setting itself over her features. Her own eyes had shifted into a golden color, carefully studying things that she couldn't see before. Even without most of her magical power, there were still things that she could determine just by looking. "There's no way that this isn't the work of devils. I can't find the exact trigger for it, however..."

"His soul is missing." Turning back to face Shinichi, a rather serious expression written over her features, one hand tightly gripped the railing of the hospital bed. To think that something like this had happened on her watch... she hadn't even noticed a thing. Granted, in her current state, there wouldn't have been much that she could have done to prevent it- but surely she should have picked up some sign of this before then.

She hadn't noticed a thing.

"Are you certain?" Shinichi asked, making his way to the young man's side himself now. No matter how Ai had poked and prodded his body, he didn't seem to stir, or even respond, lying limply in the bed. Checking him out of her himself, Shinichi placed a hand over his chest, his eyes narrowing as he sensed the very same thing that Ai had determined- there was no mistake, his soul had been all but torn from his body. "You're right. It's really not there."

"At the very least, I don't see any signs that preparations have been made for anything to slip in in it's place." Ai said, heaving a long sigh, turning her full attention back towards the young man. "So there shouldn't be any issues with keeping him here. The question remains though, exactly how did this happen? And why? According to what Ayumi-chan saw the other day, I don't doubt that his sudden disappearance has something to do with it, but..."

"Where there's one, there's always more." Shinichi muttered underneath his breath. "If there's no signs of preparation for a full possession, then most likely, what they wanted from him was nothing more than his soul. I should probably start checking hospital records from around the area, to see if they've had any similar reports lately. What kinds of things can devils do with human souls, Haibara?"

"Any number of things." Ai told him simply, the color of her eyes shifting back to their more human blue. "So many that I don't even know where to begin. It could be used as fuel for a complex spell, or an offering to break some sort of seal, but there's many more things besides those that they could be used for."

"In other words, whatever it's been collected for, it's probably not good." Shinichi noted, eyes narrowing. Picking his mask back up, he carefully placed it back over his face. "In that case, I had better get looking into this right away. Sorry, Haibara, but do you think you could get the Professor to give you a ride home? There's a chance that I might be paying a visit to the guild headquarters here soon."

"I can manage." Ai told him simply. "Shouldn't you contact that high school detective that you're working with, though?"

"What, Hattori?" Shinichi asked, glancing towards her. "If it's that guy, he's probably already looking into some things on his own." With a slight frown, he took notice of the contemplative look that crossed Ai's face, her brows knitting together in thought. "What's wrong? Did you think of something?"

"Ah, no." Ai said, looking up at him and shaking her head. "It's just that I swear that I've heard that name somewhere before."

"Well, his father _is_ the chief of Osaka's police force." Shinichi told her. "You know, that kind of imposing looking man who shows up on TV every so often, when something big happens in Osaka?"

"Ahh." A look of understanding crossing her face, Ai gave him a slight nod. "I _do_ remember that. He gives off quite the impression, for a human." It was no small wonder that the name managed to stick out in her mind, then. Still, at the same time, somehow, she didn't feel as if that was quite it.

Was there something else besides that?

* * *

"How unusual to see you here, Hattori-kun. I could have _sworn_ that your usual territory was in Osaka."

If looks could kill, Heiji was pretty certain that he would have just committed murder. Of course, he knew full well that this guy was a detective as well as an exorcist, the same as Shinichi, however, the two of them really couldn't be more different. Unable to mask just how disgruntled seeing this person's face made him, and frankly, not even really wanting to try to begin with, Heiji found himself glowering at the older detective not even seconds within first laying eyes on him.

Of course, he should have known that there was a chance that _this guy_ might very well be looking into this case too. He _did_ work in Tokyo after all, even if it was usually a different part of Tokyo than Shinichi lived in. Still, he was under the impression that he was deeply involved in dealing with that Kaito Kid thief, or at least he _was_ , the last he heard of him. Given that he had a heist tonight, according to that rich girl from earlier, he was more than a little surprised to see him here, where his own investigation had lead him. He'd been more or less able to discern the identity of the collapsed victim, and from there, he'd started asking questions, tracking down people that he knew to see if they knew anything.

" _Hakuba_." Heiji half-growled, shoving his hands in his pockets purely so that he didn't try anything against the bastard. Ever since the two of them had first met, he could have sworn that this guy had it in for him. The fact that Hakuba's blood caused his own to boil really didn't help matters, though even that would be something he could manage were it not for the fact that the blonde, half-British, half-angel was so damn _infuriating_. "What are ya doin' here?"

"I should be asking that of you. And I _did_ , in fact." Hakuba noted, quirking a brow, half wanting to comment on the lack of honorifics for someone who was his elder by a good fiver years. To think that Hattori Heizo could have such an unruly son- something had clearly gone wrong there somewhere.

"A case, a case." Heiji told him frankly. "What else would it be? I _am_ a detective, after all."

"Well, I suppose that much is true, in a sense." Hakuba said simply, all but brushing off the way the young man's glower deepened, even as something in it made his own blood prickle. "Given that we've run into each other like this, it would seem that we might very well be investigating the same thing, even."

That was, if Hattori Heiji wasn't attempting to _interfere_ in the investigation. His records were spotless, but right from the first time he had met him, Hakuba had suspicions regarding the one that people were praising as a high school detective. From the start, he had thought that there was something strange about his somewhat uncanny ability to keep running into cases left and right- although his fellow exorcist detective, Kudo Shinichi, had a similar affliction, such a thing was based out of the curse that he had gotten years ago. The way that death almost seemed to pull at him was a lingering remnant of that curse, the one part that refused to let go, even after all this time, it's main effects long since washed away.

Hattori Heiji, on the other hand, seemed to have no reason for this. For the most part, he'd dismissed it, chalking it up to bad luck- at least, until he'd had a chance to meet the Osakan detective in person himself. Just like it wasn't that often that Heiji strayed up towards Tokyo, it wasn't all that often that Hakuba found himself in Osaka- but on that occasion, he had, and ended up crossing paths mid-investigation with none other than Osaka's own famous detective.

From the very moment that he had set eyes on him, he knew that there was something wrong with him. His blood told him that much. Were it not for the members of the police vouching for him, and the priestess that was his childhood friend at his side, he would almost have said that the young man he had been introduced to on that day wasn't human at all, but rather was something else- something much darker.

Whatever that was, Hakuba had vowed to one day unmask him- exposing the truth, whatever it might be, for all the world to see. If there was a chance that the one known as Hattori Heiji wasn't who he said he was at all, then whatever it was that he was planning on doing here in this world, he wouldn't let him get away with it. Well, he got a feeling that he knew- after all, posing as a detective to solve the very crimes that they spurred on themselves sounded extremely tantalizing for a devil. There had most certainly been such cases in the past.

It was because of one such case, in fact, that his mother was no longer with him.

Well, on the off chance he really did turn out to be human, he would properly apologize to him. But until the day that he proved himself as such to him, his suspicions would remain.

"Unfortunately, it looks like that's the case." Heiji said simply, finally heaving an exasperated sigh, putting his intense glower aside for now. Rubbing the back of his neck, he turned his attention towards the supposedly abandoned building. "I was followin' a lead, an' it lead me all the way out here, ta this place. What about ya?"

"The very same." Hakuba said, nodding his head, for the moment, giving the young man in front of him something of an icy smile. Well, whatever his intentions were here, he would be sure to keep a close eye on him. "Are you planning on going inside, Hattori-kun? I do believe that with a small amount of force, the door should open with no problem. Well," turning to him, the icy feeling that his smile gave off somehow growing. "...I suppose that for someone like yourself, such a thing would be no problem."

"Sorry fer bein' strong. Last I checked, that wasn't a crime." Heiji grumbled, shooting him a dirty in spite of his earlier resolution to drop it for the time being. Honestly, what was this guy's deal with him anyways? If he was suspicious of him or something, he'd prefer that he come right out of with it. The fact that he had always minded his manners when his father was around certainly didn't help matters- at the very least, his father was willing to believe exactly how it was that Hakuba treated him.

Well, granted, some of his own behavior towards him was definitely less than stellar. But it couldn't be helped- he was really that damn annoying, after all!

"I suppose that it isn't." Hakuba said, shaking his head. "At any rate, if we really are investigating the same thing, then it doubles my belief that this place is related to the case. I'm guessing that whoever the victim is on your end, they were seen by someone hanging around here once before?"

"Yeah." Heiji said simply, giving him a rather curt nod of his head. "Yers not respond ta anyone? Seem totally out of it?"

"That would be correct. Likewise, people around this area sometimes heard strange voices coming from within this building." Hakuba told him. "But I must say, it's a rather unusual case that you've forced your way into again, Hattori-kun. I'm sure you know that any case dealing with devils, as I'm _sure_ that you've realized this one does by now," he said, leveling his gaze on him. "...isn't exactly safe for normal humans, much less high school students."

"Do ya really think I'm interested in bein' lectured on safety by a former high school detective?" Heiji asked, shrugging his shoulders. "Anyways, let's get this over with, before ya make me regret ever bein' born."

"I do believe that's not usually how that phrase goes." Hakuba couldn't help pointing out, quirking a brow.

"It does when it involves ya." Heiji told him, giving him one last, long look before he turned towards the building at hand. Giving the handle of the door a testing twist, he quickly confirmed that it was locked. Testing the door itself for a moment, he nodded his head, deciding that it was more than within in his ability to knock down. Since Hakuba had suggested that he break it down, odds were that he had already determined that the building belonged to nobody. "I'm breakin' it down."

All it took was one body blow for the door to give way, tearing off it's hinges. It was pretty old anyways, probably even Hakuba could have broken it down if he had tried. Rubbing his shoulder a little, Heiji stepped in side the building, glancing around the darkened room. Searching for a light switch, he gave it a flick, and was rather unsurprised to find that it did nothing.

"From the looks of this place, it's been abandoned fer a long time. Whoever was usin' it didn't seem in much of a hurry ta clean it up." Heiji said, stepping aside to allow his fellow detective in after him. Watching as Hakuba produced his cellphone from pants pocket, switching it on to illuminate the room somewhat, he frowned, hanging back a bit. Judging from the way he was acting, there probably wasn't anything magical in this place that he needed to worry about- he was sure that Hakuba would be able to pick up on what he couldn't.

Still, if this guy really was involved in this investigation, this was going to be a pain. The last thing that he wanted was for him to cross paths with Shinichi, not when he knew that he was already starting to become suspicious of him. While he had confidence that Shinichi wasn't the kind of person to take the sort of view of him that Hakuba had, it was something that he would rather not deal with.

Rather, if Hakuba heard from Shinichi that he was somewhat suspicious of him, it would only provide Hakuba with more proof of his theory. That might finally give him motivation to act on it- and that was something that he wanted to avoid. In spite of Hakuba's general bad attitude towards him, he knew full well that the detective wasn't the sort of person to act without proof, no matter how suspicious he was of someone.

He could more or less guess what it was that he was thinking in regards to him, if only because it was something that he was afraid that people would think ever since he had started doing detective work to begin with. The fact that he kept being drawn to the scenes of case had everything to do with his nature as a devil, sure- but it was just because that overwhelming negativity that was given off before a murder happened tugged at his blood, nothing more.

Over time, he had learned what it had meant, and had learned to follow it. Sometimes, if he got there in time, he could prevent it from becoming an actual murder, the case ending at an attempted murder. But other times, far too often, really, he didn't make that quickly. He'd learned to live with that- there were limits to what he could do, after all.

"Well, it's also possible that it could have had an illusion cast over it with magic." Hakuba remarked, shining the flashlight down towards the floor, narrowing his eyes. There were signs that people had been here, at the very least- there were distinct footprints in the dust on the floor. At the very least, he had sensed any magic surrounding the building at the moment- if there were any traps set up, they were probably of the more traditional sort. "Well, now that we've found this place, I doubt that they'll use it again."

"That's probably true." Heiji said, stooping down to take a good look at the footprints on the floor. Although they mixed together a bit, there was a variety of sizes. "I doubted that whoever the culprit of this was bothered ta rent this place out legally. Since ya told me ta knock down the door, I'm guessin' ya already know that, though."

"That's correct." Hakuba said, nodding his head. Well, regardless of what Hattori Heiji was, and what his intentions were, if anything, at the very least, he was willing to acknowledge that he was pretty clever. "That avenue was the first that I followed before even coming here. I'm going to check out the second floor."

"Then, I'll stay down here an' look over the first floor." Heiji told him, sending him a slightly challenging look, getting the feeling that he almost didn't want to let him out of his sights. Honestly, what an exhausting fellow. "It'll be faster if we split up, right?"

"...I suppose." Hakuba relented finally, casting a skeptical look towards the young man. Well thus far, he hadn't don anything suspicious, at the very least. "Do take care to not recklessly ruin any evidence, Hattori-kun."

"I've never done that before!" Heiji retorted, his glower returning. This guy really did make his blood boil- exactly where had his parents gone wrong to raise such an unpleasant guy?

"Well, there's a first time for everything, especially when the detective in question is as hotblooded as you are." Hakuba said simply, paying his glower no mind. He'd dealt with worse, after all.

"Sorry fer bein' hotblooded." Turning away from him, Heiji pulled out his own cellphone, using it to light up the place. Of course, he could see pretty well in the dark on his own, but if he didn't do this, then Hakuba would only grow more suspicious of him. Watching out of the corner of his eye as Hakuba finally left the room, Heiji rolled his eyes.

"Honestly, I really do have lousy luck."

* * *

"Honestly, Shinichi, if you were going to be this late, you could have called and said something!"

Ah, that's right. Blinking a little, Shinichi took a slight step back, giving his wife something of a nervous laugh. He'd been so caught up into looking into the matter, that he had completely forgotten to call Ran and let her know that he was going to be late. Sparing a glance behind her, he took quick note of both Kazuha and Heiji alike watching them with some interest, the former sparing a glance over towards the latter, whispering something to him that he couldn't quite make out.

Whatever it was, it got a pretty loud response of _'idiot_!' from Heiji.

"I'm sorry, Ran." Shinichi told her, carefully taking one of her hands and pulling her a bit closer to him, planting a quick kiss on her lips. Though she tried her best to remain angry with him for a moment longer, it didn't last, giving way to her heaving a long sigh, casting a smile towards him. "Is there still dinner for me?"

"There should be, unless Hattori-kun's eaten it all." Ran commented, glancing back towards the pair. "He's got quite the appetite."

"Heiji's just a glutton, that's all." Kazuha said simply, her smile only growing at the glare Heiji sent her way. She wasn't going to wilt under something like that!

"Don't worry, don't worry, I left plenty fer ya, Kudo!" Heiji grinned, watching as he took off his shoes, making his way to the table, taking the seat next to his wife. "So? How did that case go? Ya know, the one that ya had ta dump me fer. Given the time ya spent lookin' into it, it must have been pretty serious."

"I'm surprised." Shinichi noted, casting a glance over towards him. "I could have sworn that you were listening into the phone conversation that I was having, Hattori. Didn't you do some investigation of your own?"

"Ah, so ya caught that." Letting out a slightly awkward laugh, Heiji rubbed the back of his head, briefly averting his eyes from him. "Yeah, I did. I found the place that was mostly likely used ta draw people in, but not much came out of it after that. I doubt that they'll be usin' it again now that it's been smoked out. I can still give ya the address if ya want."

For the moment, he was going to leave out meeting out Hakuba.

"What about yer end of things?" Heiji asked.

"Well, at the very least, I was able to determine that this wasn't the first case of such a thing happening. There have been others around Tokyo who have collapsed because of the same reason." Picking up his bowl of rice, Shinichi quickly got some down him, before continuing. "I didn't find any more business cards when I looked into the personal possessions of the victims, so I have no evidence, but my hunch says that that Foundation is related to this."

"Well, I have ta agree with that." Heiji observed, setting down his own bowl of rice and getting to his feet. "Anyways, I'm full. Sorry, Kudo, but I'm gettin' a bit tired, so do ya think we could pick this up tomorrow mornin'?"

"Sure, I don't have a problem with that." Sensing it for a lie, Shinichi decided not to question it, leaving the matter be. Given the fact that he was keeping things from Heiji as well, he had no right to be all that pressing about whatever it was he was keeping secret. "Sleep well, Hattori."

"Ah, then, I'm finished too." Kazuha said quickly, knowing that gleam in her childhood friend's eyes. Quickly piling her plates together, she smiled at the both of them. "Thanks fer the delicious dinner, Ran-san."

"No, no, it's no problem at all." Ran said simply, shaking her head. As both Osakans gathered together their plates and dropped them off in the kitchen before heading upstairs, she turned towards Shinichi, a slight frown on her face. "Does this maybe have anything to do with what Ai-chan came here about this afternoon?"

"Yeah. Just as I thought, it would appear that this case is going to turn out to be something quite serious." Shinichi said, his expression turning somewhat grave. "I heard from Hakuba that he's started looking into the case as well. Apparently one of the students in his class collapsed suddenly, and he's been looking into it ever since then."

"I see." Ran said, a slight frown on her face. "In that case, the two of you should meet up soon to discuss the case. I would feel a bit better if there were two of you working on it."

"There are two of us, though." Shinichi noted, glancing up the stairs the way Heiji had gone.

"You know what I mean." Ran said with a sigh. "Exorcists, exorcists. I would feel better if you weren't the only exorcist working on the case. Hakuba-kun's pretty reliable in that regard."

"Well frankly, with Hattori involved, I'm not sure how deeply I want to get Hakuba involved with us." Shinichi admitted. "You know how he is about that sort of thing. If there's a chance that Hattori's actually... well, I'm sure you can guess where I'm going with this."

"...A bit." Ran confessed after a moment, turning back to her plate, her frown deepening. "I really don't think he's a bad person though, Shinichi. I don't think Kazuha-chan would be friends with anyone who wasn't." She said, pausing for a moment, seeming to recall something. "He was pretty angry about something when he came back late this afternoon, though. He wouldn't say what, at least not me. It was pretty surprising."

"He seems to have something of a powerful temper." Reaching a hand over towards her, he rested it on her shoulder, giving it a light rub. "Well, I do agree with you that he doesn't seem to be a bad person. If there's something really going on with him in relation with devils, I'd like to be able to help him... but that's only if he wants to open up to me. I don't think it's something I should force."

"That's probably true." Placing a hand over Shinichi's own, Ran smiled over towards him, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "Now then. I'm already finished with my dinner as well, so I'm going to retire to our room."

"Eh? You're not going to eat dinner with me?" Shinichi asked, his hand hanging in empty air as Ran lightly swatted it away, rising to her feet. "I'll be lonely, Ran!"

"Consider it your punishment for not calling me, Shinichi." Ran told him. "Ah, that's right. We'll have to work on trying for our little detective sometime later. We can't do that sort of thing with Hattori-kun and Kazuha-chan here, after all. It wouldn't be appropriate."

Cheeks turning a bright shade of red at her words, Shinichi very nearly choked on his food. For once, he was actually starting to regret his rather generous offer to take in the pair of freeloaders.

* * *

"Wait Heiji, are ya sure about this?" Keeping her voice to a quiet whisper, Kazuha refused to release her grip on Heiji's wrist, nails almost digging into his skin from the effort it required to keep her stubborn friend in place. "I don't really think it's a good idea fer ya ta wander around Tokyo lookin' like _that_ , at least not right now!"

"It's alright, it's alright." Heiji was quick to reassure her, grinning from ear to ear, exposing canines that protruded a bit more than they usually did. "I've got my mask an' everythin'. Even if someone runs into me, they're not gonna recognize me."

"Well Kudo-kun obviously _does_ , ta some extent." Kazuha hissed, fierce green eyes glaring up towards golden ones. Frankly, it was a miracle that taking on this form wasn't setting off some kind of alarm in the Kudo manor- how reckless could he get? Just because the Kudo couple was asleep now, doesn't mean that he could be this careless.

She was glad that she had gone to check up on Heiji. Frankly, she shouldn't have be the least bit surprised to have found her half-devil best friend opening up a window to the room he was staying in, preparing to jump out of it, given what she knew of him, and yet, she had been anyways. Every second that he remained in his devil form, she only grew more and more nervous, keeping her ears strained for any sign of Shinichi or Ran, even though she knew full well that Heiji would pick up on such a thing far quicker than she would.

"Kudo's one thing, Kazuha." Heiji was quick to reassure her, finally managing to free his wrist from her grasp, shaking it out a little. Resting a hand on her head, he gave it a light pat, careful to avoid scratching her with his claw-like nails. "Besides, it's easier ta move around in this form, an' I might be able ta pick up on those guys better. Since I'm here, I might as well patrol. Besides, it's not like I'm doin' this recklessly. See, I've got a hoodie."

As if to demonstrate, Heiji lifted up the hood of his hoodie, which only caused Kazuha to roll her eyes as it did absolutely nothing to conceal the curved pair of white horns that rose up from his head. That might have worked when he was a child, and they were still small, but now-!

Honestly, for someone who worried so much about keeping his secret a secret, all of that was thrown out of the window whenever there was a scent of a case to chase.

"Fine." Kazuha said after a moment. "As long as yer careful, Heiji. An' as long as ya remember ta take my charm with ya!"

"I'm wearin' it, aren't I?" Heiji asked, placing a hand over where the charm was tucked underneath his shirt, his tail slightly bristling as he spoke. "I'll be fine, Kazuha. I've been a lot more careful about it ever since _then_ , ya know that, right? Learned my lesson, ya could say."

"I know that." Kazuha said finally. "I just wish ya didn't have ta learn it that way."

"Well, it could have gone worse. I'm not really sure I care ta find out if I can actually be sealed away or not." Heiji said simply, masking his own feelings with a simple shrug of his shoulders- and his literal mask as well, placing it over his face. "I'll be back by mornin', I promise ya that. On the off chance I'm not, I'll leave what ta do up ta ya."

"I understand." Kazuha said, slowly nodding her head. "Then, if yer goin' ta do this, go give 'em hell, Heiji!"

"Of course I will!" Heiji told her, a rather cheeky grin spreading across his face. "I am a devil, after all."


	8. Things That Go Bump in the Night

**AN** : Chapter eight is here, so get excited! I especially had quite a bit of fun writing out that last scene- Kazuha goes where she will and no one can stop her. Anyways, as always, thanks for reading, and if you could, it would help a lot if you left a review on your way out!

Until next time!

* * *

 **Devils Bleed Black**

 **Chapter Eight**

 **Things That Go Bump in the Night**

* * *

It was the slight shift in the barrier that surrounded the house that stirred him from his sleep. Slowly blinking awake, moving carefully so that he didn't disturb his wife, Shinichi slipped out from underneath his covers, sparing Ran a look to make sure she was still sleeping soundly. With a tight frown on his face, he crept towards the closest window, narrowing his eyes and peering out into the dark as best he could manage.

He couldn't see anything, but that perhaps came as no small surprise, as it was, after all, rather dark out. More importantly, he couldn't sense anything either- it felt as if whatever had passed through the barrier was _leaving_ , rather than entering. Naturally, this was something that quickly caught his curiosity, and he quietly made his way to his wardrobe, quickly pulling out a change of clothes, hurriedly changing into them so that he wouldn't be venturing outside in his pajamas.

Almost as soon as he finished getting them on, Shinichi quietly made for the door, making sure to mask the sounds he produced as best he could. The last thing he wanted to do was wake Ran, and give her cause to worry about him- though he imagined if she woke up later and noticed that he was gone, she would have words for him nevertheless. Still, this wasn't exactly something that he could leave to uninvestigated.

Quietly making his way out into the hallway, he breathed easier upon entering it, carefully shutting his bedroom door behind him. As if by instinct, his gaze trailed towards the rooms that he had leant Heiji and Kazuha respectively- and he found both doors shut, with no light leaking out from underneath. Frowning slightly, he decided to bypass Kazuha's door, instead making his way towards Heiji's room, finding that it was unlocked when he tested the handle. Carefully opening the door and peering in, he glanced towards the bed, giving it a rather cursory look.

The old stuff your luggage underneath your covers trick- even from this distance, Shinichi could recognize it right away. How many times had he done something similar himself, after all? It was one of the oldest tricks in the book, and to the casual observer, a rather effective one.

For one reason or another, Hattori Heiji had snuck out of the Kudo manor in the middle of the night- from the window, from the looks of it. It was still slightly open, and for a brief moment, he couldn't help but wonder why he'd chosen to exit via a second floor window when it would have been just as easy to leave through the back door. Heiji did seem to be the rather athletic type, but that still wasn't exactly an easy drop- he'd done it once or twice himself while growing up, and had regretted it each time.

Of course, he supposed the matter was null and void if Heiji somehow wasn't human. That pull he had felt on the barrier- he hadn't felt anything like it previously when Heiji had entered or exited the manor before, but he couldn't deny the timing was a bit _too_ perfect to be a coincidence. If something had come inside the barrier to whisk Heiji away for whatever reason, he would have felt that as well- it didn't make sense that he would have only felt the barrier shift as something left it. If it had been able to mask coming in, then it should have been able to mask leaving.

Just as he thought, it would appear that Heiji really did have some kind of connection to devils after all. What that connection was, however, was something that remained to be seen. Was he possessed by one? Did he have some kind of symbiotic relationship with one? Or perhaps he was something akin to those two- a human that had somehow become a devil themselves. He'd heard rumors that sometimes those who had been deeply possessed by devils in the past would have certain attributes remain behind after being freed- but if something like that had happened, it would have been in the guild's records.

Closing the door to Heiji's room behind him, making sure to leave everything untouched, Shinichi made his way downstairs, pausing to grab his mask and shoes, along with his house keys, before exiting the manor. Stepping out into the slightly brisk night air, he took in and let out a long breath, eyes slowly adjusting to the dark of the night. For the moment, he simply held his mask lightly in one hand- if there was a need for it, then he would put it on.

If the one who had left really was Heiji, then he had a feeling that he knew _exactly_ where he would be headed- to the location that he had scouted out earlier that afternoon, during his own investigation. Most likely to see if there was a chance that anyone would come back to it. If he really was human, then it would be a reckless action- if he was something other than that, however...

Well, it would still be a reckless action. Whatever he was, he hadn't missed the clear implication in Vermouth's words that he was something that devils would disdain. Those scars on his back that had been clearly left behind by a yukionna gave hint to that as well- and it was part of why he still felt that he could put his trust into him. Heiji's own behavior itself was the other reason- if he was putting on a show to deceive him, then he was doing a wonderful job of it. But he didn't think that was the case.

It was a good thing he had gotten the location from Heiji before he went to bed for the night. Judging from his personality, he probably didn't even consider lying to him and giving him the wrong place, so the address that he had gotten was most likely right. The fact that he was so honest beyond whatever secret he was keeping was another bit of proof that whatever connection the Osakan high school detective might have to devils- even if he _was_ one himself, didn't mean that he was as wicked as most would think. He had plenty of experience with that type already.

Given the rather protective manner that had been displayed by both his father, and the police officer, Otaki Gorou, that he had spoken with, who claimed to know Heiji rather well, it would appear that his secret wasn't only known to him. And those who knew, it seemed, sought to protect him from those who didn't- most especially types like himself, Shinichi was quite certain. Kazuha too, doubtlessly knew it well- and he could only imagine that his mother, ever elusive as she was, was the same way. At the thought of his mother, Shinichi briefly frowned, putting a hand to his chin, the vaguest of ideas striking him in that moment, before he shook such thoughts away.

Such a thing was completely unheard of, after all. He didn't even know if it was even _possible_.

* * *

Even in human form, he was always more agile and athletic than other humans, a fact which over time, he had more or less learned to hide. If he slipped up sometimes, it was only when he was angry- and usually those who witnessed such things assumed that it was from his temper that he was drawing such strength. Since it worked out well for him, and wasn't entirely wrong, he left such thoughts as they were. Still, in this form, he was freed from what constraints his human body placed on him, allowing him to move freely and do things that were simply beyond it's capacity.

Flying, of course, was one such thing- his human form had no wings. For the moment, such things were still hidden, as he had no need for them. His white, bat-like wings drew too much attention to themselves anyways, so he didn't like to use them unless he had no other choice, or unless he had the freedom to do so. He didn't really need them here anyways- the skyline that he was traveling across was mostly level, easy to make his way across simply by hopping from roof to roof. At this time of night, the only people who were out were drunks who would assume what they had witnessed was just a figment of their drunken imagination, or people coming home exhausted from either some pretty serious overtime, or the graveyard shift, none of them awake enough to really think to look up towards the roofs of the buildings that they passed.

Even if someone saw him, with the mask that had been made for him by Kazuha's mother securely in place, nobody would recognize him as the high school detective, Hattori Heiji. That was what mattered most.

In truth, if he were to spend all of his time in human form, he would quickly begin to feel stifled. This form, that of a devil, was as much a part of him as his other, and even though he couldn't deny that he had some rather complex feelings in regards to his devil's blood, he wasn't about to deny what he was at the end of the day. It would do him no good, and trying to live while denying half of what he was would probably only soon find him in a rather tight fix.

Suppressing all the things that made him something other than just a normal human in an effort to blend in, would quickly prove to be disastrous- that was something that his mother had impressed upon him from a young age. He didn't want to find out what that disaster was firsthand, and thus, as complex as his feelings were towards it, he never denied his devil's blood, unless what it was whispering to him was something that very much _needed_ to be denied.

Thankfully, that didn't happen all that often. And when it _did_ , it was more than manageable- that too, was something that his parents had helped teach him. To not listen during the brief moments when something much darker than he would like to admit surfaced within him. If his mother, who was a full blooded devil, could deal with it without so much as batting an eye, then surely he could manage. She had also taught him that there was no shame in such things- what mattered was how he reacted to it's whispers, and not the whispers themselves- but that was a lesson he hadn't quite taken to.

Besides, other devils were a little less likely to sense the human blood in him in this form- and there was a slight chance that he might run into them. If he could fool them even for a few moments, he might be able to glean some new information from them. That was, of course, provided that any of them were going to come back here, he thought, his tail twitching slightly as his gaze fell on the abandoned building that his information had lead him to earlier in the day. Gazing down on it, he quickly noted that it was still pitch black- though if there was any kind of spell cast over it, he couldn't tell.

Which was why he had stopped where he was, taking a seat on the edge of the building right next to it, content to merely observe it for now. Right now was around the time when his witness had told him that he'd seen the junior high school student who had gotten his soul stolen from him around this building. If nothing came up after two or so hours, he would return back to the Kudo manor- of course, he'd return to human form before he even tried to slip through the barrier. What he could pass through easily as a human, he couldn't as a devil. Even if he could manage such a thing, he wasn't an idiot- there was no way that Shinichi wouldn't feel something trying to come in through the barrier that shouldn't be, even as he slept.

Even though he couldn't sense a person's magical ability, he didn't doubt for one second that Kudo Shinichi was strong. If the two of them were ever forced into a situation where he had to fight him, that might very well be a problem for Heiji. He'd rather avoid such a scenario.

"Hm?" Frowning a little, his tail twitched slightly, as he leaned forward to get a better look at the building he was watching. Just now, out of the corner of his eye, hadn't there been something there? Squinting a bit, the darkness no obstacle to his vision, Heiji tried to make out what it was- and if it was something that he needed to be concerned about. He couldn't sense a devil's presence, at the very least, but even so...

"So you really were watching the building."

More startled than he would have liked to admit at the sound of the voice that came from behind him, Heiji slowly turned around, having already recognized it. Even though the mask the person speaking to him was wearing was pointless, the illusion spell cast over it useless when faced with someone without any magic of their own, it hadn't stopped them from putting it on. Given their past encounter, this was probably something that he was already well aware of, even if he didn't know the exact cause. He doubted that an exorcist would ever suspect that a devil of all things wouldn't posses any magic.

"So we meet again. How unexpected." Slowly rising to his feet, hoping to look somewhat graceful to make up for the way he was pretty sure that he had jumped out of his skin there for a second, Heiji turned around to face the exorcist behind him. That had probably been a decoy that he had spotted down there- something he'd sent out to see if he really was watching the place. For the moment, it would be best to try and play this off as much as he could as this only being their second meeting- honestly, what was _Kudo_ doing here?

Well, maybe Kazuha had been right, and maybe he had sensed something when he had left the barrier. Not many exorcists bothered with that sort of inclusion in their barrier spells, simply only being concerned with what came in- he really was an interesting guy, this Kudo Shinichi. Still, the fact that he might have picked up on such a thing bothered him- he was skirting a bit too close to discovering the truth, if he had ended up here of all places. He didn't really think his devil's aura was so strong that he would have been able to track it all the way here.

"You did say that we were investigating the same thing. It isn't that odd that our leads would direct us to the same place." Shinichi's voice was cool, keeping his tone level. To think that he would run into the white horned devil here- well, frankly, it wasn't as if he weren't expecting this turn of events. There were three possibilities, after all. The first was that no one at all would be here, but he thought that was the most unlikely. The second was that Heiji would be here, staking out the place. And the third, of course, was that this mysterious devil would be here, doing very much the same.

Even in the darkness of the night, even as it was obscured by the mask that he wore, he didn't miss the way that the devil all too closely resembled Heiji, right down to his voice and manner of speaking. There had been some small part of him that had been starting to think that perhaps, the two of them didn't have such a strong resemblance between them as he had first thought, but after seeing him again, there was no doubt about it.

It was completely impossible that the two weren't somehow related. As for what that relationship was, however, it was far too early to say. Drawing the wrong conclusion here and making a mistake could be disastrous.

"I suppose that's true." Heiji remarked, narrowing his eyes slightly. Shinichi really wasn't letting anything slip- nothing that he could pick up on, at the very least. He had to do his best to do the same- a far more difficult feat for him than he would like to admit. Even if his honest streak was something that he felt no small degree of pride in, something that set him apart from others of his mother's kind. "Why bother with the mask, Kudo-han? It's not like I don't already know who ya are. Yer pretty famous in devil circles, after all."

"I'm flattered." Shinichi remarked, a slight smile crossing his face, as he did just that, carefully holding his mask in one hand. "I don't suppose you would be interested in returning the favor? Or perhaps providing me with your name. I've nothing to call you by."

"I make it a policy not ta do either of those things around exorcists." Heiji said simply, shaking his head. "I've got my own reasons, ya know. Ya might not be attackin' me now, but who knows what the future might bring? Well, though ta be frank, I'd rather avoid the two of us becomin' enemies."

"I must say I agree." Shinichi told him. If he really was connected to Heiji, as he thought he was, he could probably understand the reason why he refused. And if it was true, that he really was connected to Heiji, perhaps even _was_ Heiji- then he would also very much like to avoid the two of them becoming enemies. Thus far, the devil had done _nothing_ to earn his suspicion- merely his curiosity. The same thing also applied to the Osakan high school detective, of course. "You're quite interesting yourself. I've never seen a devil before with white horns and white wings such as yours. Though it sounds like you've already had a run in with the guild once, if my information is true."

"Oh, so ya looked into that?" Arching his brows, Heiji tilted his head slightly, his tail twitching at the mere mention of that incident. Even though his mask also helped conceal his expressions to a degree, he was going to have to watch himself. The less he gaze away to him, the better- and he was going to have to try real damn hard come tomorrow morning to act as normally as possible around him. "Well, that's fair. I was lucky ta escape with my life back then. Honestly, damn exorcists, goin' hard on a kid. What were they thinkin'?"

Kazuha was going to give him an earful.

"I'm sure that they were only thinking of doing their jobs, not that it's much of an excuse." Shinichi said, merely shrugging his shoulders. "Even if their opponent was a child. Still, I'm amazed that you still seem to be interested in speaking with me after experiencing something like that."

"What can I say?" Heiji told him, shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head. "I'm the kind of guy who likes ta believe in others. Well, if they show me that I have reason ta take back that faith, I won't show 'em any mercy, though. I'm not a child anymore, after all."

"I suppose that you're not." Shinichi said simply, closing his eyes for a moment, before opening them again, turning back to look down at the building. "You know, I wasn't the one to discover this location myself. A rather talented high school detective who has been working with me lately was the one to do it."

"Oh? Is that so?" Even though the devil himself didn't spare him so much as a look, Shinichi didn't miss the way the very tip of his tail twitched slightly. That thing was almost _painfully_ honest, wanting to confess to the world whatever it's owner was hiding. "So? Why are ya tellin' me that? Ya just like ta brag about yer _kouhai_ , or whatever?"

"Well, maybe something like that." Shinichi said simply, unable to help but keep a slight grin off of his face. "There's no need to be so guarded around me though. You did say that we were allies, after all, didn't you? I've decided to put my faith in those words."

"How unusual." Heiji merely replied, tucking his hands into his pockets, taking a moment to glance over the clothes he was wearing, making careful note to remember not to wear them in front of Shinichi as Hattori Heiji. "I was right. Ya really _are_ an interestin' one after all, Kudo-han."

"I get the feeling you really _shouldn't_ be the one commenting on whether or not someone is unusual." Shinichi quipped, shooting him a small look, not letting the placid smile leave his face. The last thing that he wanted to do was to let the devil get the wrong idea- he'd meant what he had said, regardless of whatever secrets were being concealed from him.

Those who existed as shades of gray had plenty of reasons to keep secrets. If he really wanted to know the truth, the only thing he could do was attempt to keep chipping away at the defenses that surrounded them- both Hattori Heiji and this mysterious white horned devil. The longer that he spoke to him, the more he felt almost certain that they were most likely one and the same.

Was Heiji _really_ a devil? If that was the case, how was he managing to fool his senses, and pass through barriers meant to keep such things out? Did it have something to do with the charm that he always wore around his neck? Eyes darting towards the devil's neck, he noted that he couldn't make out any signs of the purple thread that was twined around Heiji's own.

If Hattori Heiji really _wasn't_ human, that opened up a whole new can of worms. What of his father? He was almost _certain_ that Hattori Heizo was completely human. But given the subtle protective manner that he had acted in once he had learned that he was involved with his son, there was no doubt that he knew what secrets his son held. What of Kazuha? The priestess that was always by his side, who had been there since childhood? What did she know? Much, he suspected.

And what, exactly, was Heiji hiding?

At his words, the devil let out a loud bark of laughter, as if unable to help himself. He hadn't missed the way Shinichi's gaze darted towards his neck, and was suddenly glad that he had the forethought to tuck Kazuha's charm away in his pocket for the time being, keeping it well out of sight. If he'd be wearing the same charm... there would be denying anything then. "Ya've got a mighty good point there, Kudo-han. I guess in so far as devils go, I'm pretty unusual myself."

Maybe it really wasn't necessary to keep up this act- everything that Shinichi had done so far more or less indicated that he might be able to trust him. Still, that was easier said than done, especially since it wasn't only his life, and his freedom riding on this. Besides, who'd ever heard of a half-human, half-devil before? He'd met any number of devils ready to disdain him as a half blood traitor, but not a one had ever mentioned that they had ever run into something like him before.

A lifetime of caution couldn't simply be undone in a mere few days, after all, no matter how much he had idolized the guy as a child.

"Well, I get the feelin' with the both of us here, nothin' will ever show up." Heiji remarked simply, taking a step up, balancing himself on the ledge of the building. If he let his wings out here, he would tear his clothes, and he would rather avoid that. There was only so many times his shirts could be mended before the one doing the mending would start to complain. He'd tried to learn how to do so before himself- but had shown no talent for it at all. "I'll leave this matter ta ya, exorcist. Keep a close watch ta make sure no bad guys show up, won't ya?"

"Dumping all the work on me is a fine way to begin this partnership." Shinichi couldn't help but note, slipping his mask back on. He got the feeling that once he made his way back to the Kudo manor, Heiji would have already returned, and would be once more fast asleep in his bed, as if he had never left it in the first place. "But I'll keep a rather close watch. Stay safe yourself."

"What an strange thing fer an exorcist ta say ta a devil." Heiji remarked, the smile that his lips twisted into being anything but cheerful. "I suppose I'll return the sentiment. It would be a waste if somethin' happened ta someone as interestin' as you, Kudo-han. Yer a rare breed."

"Are you not as such yourself?" Shinichi asked.

"Who knows?" With a slight shrug of his shoulders, Heiji took a step off of the building, foot meeting empty air. Landing six stories down on his feet was no problem for him- he barely even felt it as he landed. Pausing to glance up towards the top of the building, making out Shinichi's silhouette cast by the moonlight, he gave him another smile, before shaking his head, turning on his heel and making his way onto the street.

He doubted that he'd follow him- but well, even if he tried, he wouldn't be able to keep up. That was, after all, the difference between a mere human and a devil.

* * *

"Ya seem pretty tired, Kudo."

"Well, I'd _bet_ he is." Cutting him off before he even had so much as a chance to speak, Ran's rather sharp tone was clearly directed at no one else but her husband. "Because he decided to sneak out in the middle of the night to stake out the location that you found yesterday, Hattori-kun. He didn't even bother to tell me something that important."

Grumbling a little underneath his breath that it wasn't his fault, Shinichi fought the urge to shoot Heiji something of a dirty look. His acting was better than he had given him credit for, if he could simply act as if nothing had happened last night- well, it was also possible that he might not remember himself. He still hadn't figured out what the _exact_ connection was that he had to that devil, so it was possible that he had no memory of last night's events as he was now. One way or another though, _he_ was the one at fault for this- but what kind of adult would he be if he took out his problems on someone five years his junior? Not _much_ of one, that was for sure.

"Oh, is that so?" Heiji asked, doing his best to act as if this were the first time he was hearing this. He couldn't help but be a little amused at the way Ran was treating him- but he definitely didn't miss the sharp glare that Kazuha was sending his way, because this was definitely the first time she was hearing that Shinichi had ended up in the same place as him last night. "Ya should have woke me up, Kudo. I would have come with ya."

"Ya don't need ta be goin' with him ta a dangerous place like that, Heiji." Kazuha said shortly, turning a sharp gaze of her own towards her own childhood friend. "Kudo-kun already said it, didn't he? That it's dangerous fer a _normal human_ ta get involved with devils."

"Kazuha-chan's right." Shinichi said simply, nodding his head, glancing over towards her, not at all missing the way that she had emphasized the 'normal human' part. It was obvious such a thing was more directed towards Heiji than it was to himself- perhaps the second personality theory was out after all. "There was still a chance, however unlikely, that one might show up. The only reason I'm bringing you to the party with me, Hattori, is because in that situation, the devil won't be able to make many moves either."

"Party?" Ran asked, glancing over towards him. "What's this about a party, Shinichi?"

"Ah, that's right, I haven't told you yet, have I?" Blinking, Shinichi quickly recalled that amidst the new development that had cropped up, he had forgotten all about the upcoming party he had scored them invitations to. "There's a high chance that whoever is in charge of the devils in the eastern area is someone who has both a lot of wealth and a lot of influence. I asked Sonoko if there was anyone that seemed a bit suspicious, and she ended up getting us invitations to the next party her family is throwing. There's a high chance that this devil might show up there."

"Of course, you and Kazuha-chan are invited too, Ran." Shinichi told her, casting a quick smile over towards her. "It's on Friday evening."

"Wait, is that really safe?" Ran asked, a deep frown crossing her features. "Of course, I don't mind going with you, but isn't it dangerous to do something like this when there will be so many other people around?"

"It's fine." Shinichi said simply, shaking his head. "The devil won't want to risk exposing itself in front of all those people, so it's probably going to keep any actions it might want to take against me to a minimum. In other words, _I'll_ be the one who'll have the advantage there."

"Well if you say so..." Trailing off a little, still looking somewhat unconvinced, Ran heaved a slight sigh. Slowly turning her attention towards Kazuha and Heiji, she gave them both a smile. "Come to think of it though, did the two of you even bring anything to wear to something like that? The parties that Sonoko's family puts on can be pretty fancy, after all. They _are_ one of the wealthiest families in Japan."

"Now that ya mention it..." Heiji trailed off, folding his arms in front of his chest. Frankly, he was almost relived at how normal their interactions were with each other that morning- it meant he could breathe a bit easier. "I don't. What about ya, Kazuha?"

"Of course I don't." Kazuha said, shaking her head. "The last time I went ta any kind of fancy party, it was when yer father was bein' promoted ta the head of Osaka's police force, Heiji. An' that was when we were in sixth grade. There's no way the dress I got then still fits me now."

"I guess we don't?" Heiji finished, turning back to Ran with something of a sheepish smile. "Well, we'll work somethin' out, I guess."

"Then, why don't I take the two of you to a shop I know? Of course, I'll pay for everything." Ran told them, a smile on her face. "I'd offer to loan you one of my own dresses, Kazuha-chan, but I don't think it would fit you. I think the same thing would apply with you and Shinichi's suits, Hattori-kun."

"That's not necessary, Ran-san!" Kazuha said, quickly shaking her head. "I do get money of my own from makin' charms, after all, even though I'm not a professional priestess yet. An' Heiji gets money from requests that he gets sometimes, right? We're in no way lackin' of that sort of thing. Besides, yer already puttin' us up like this, there's no way that we could impose on ya anymore."

"I don't have the time fer that sort of thing anyways." Heiji remarked, quirking a brow. Well, even if he didn't have enough money for a suit, it wasn't like he couldn't just convince a particularly weak willed store owner to part with one for free- the same with whatever dress Kazuha ended up wanting. Not that again, he had the time to do something like that. "I've got an investigation ta help out with, ya know."

"No, it's fine, Hattori." Shinichi told him, letting out a loud yawn. "I'm frankly in no condition to go out asking questions as it is, and this party is the best chance we have to get the answers that we're looking for. If we manage to corner this guy, we might be able to pry information from him about the rest of the Foundation. You should go with Ran. Consider it preparation for an important part of our investigation."

"But-" Heiji protested, narrowing his eyes. "Even if ya can't, I can-"

"C'mon, Heiji, what's the harm?" Kazuha asked, glancing over at him. "Do ya even have any other leads that ya could follow right now? Kudo-kun's probably right, ya know. Besides, it might dangerous if ya get too deep into it without him. That's why ya decided ta ask fer his help in the first place, wasn't it?"

Grumbling a little as his gaze darted around the table, Heiji finally let out a defeated sounding sigh, scratching the back of his head. "Alright, alright, I'll do with ya. If yer all really gonna be that _annoyin_ ' about it. Ya still don't need ta pay fer anythin' though, Neechan."

"No, no, I insist." Ran said, shaking her head. She was a bit glad that Shinichi had managed to convince him- frankly, she hadn't had many chances to speak with Heiji yet, and she wanted to change that. She couldn't help but be curious about him, in the same fashion as her husband was. Even if the response that he garnered from her blood wasn't all that pleasant, she really did think he wasn't a bad person. She wanted a chance to see that much for herself. "I really don't mind, you two. It's not a bother to me at all, and I'm sure there's more important things that the two of you need to save the money that you have for."

" _But_ -!" It was Kazuha's turn to protest now, but Ran merely cut her off with a shake of her head. Next to her, Shinichi could only smile to himself, knowing that there was no arguing with Ran when she got something like this into her head.

"No, I _insist_."

* * *

"Wait, Kazuha, don't walk in here, I'm in the middle of changin'!"

Neither the brightly lit face of her childhood friend, nor his exposed chest did anything to stop Kazuha in her tracks, the girl instead casting him a rather dry look. "I don't want ta hear somethin' like that from the guy who asked me ta strip that one time, Heiji. Anyways, would ya rather Ran-chan come in here an' see _those_?" Jerking her head towards the burns that his all too close encounter with those exorcists had left behind, which twined about his upper torso in the form of chains, Kazuha pursed her lips together.

"Like I said, I asked ya that in the first place because I wanted ta check for stun gun marks, that's all!" Heiji grumbled, snatching the shirt that she was offering to him. "Ya could have at least given a guy a little bit of warnin'. What are the other customers gonna think about a girl strollin' in so freely into a guy's changin' room?"

"I really don't care." Kazuha said plainly, placing her hands on her hips, leaning in closer to him. "More importantly, Heiji, isn't there somethin' about last night that yer not tellin' me?"

"...Perhaps." Heiji trailed off, gaze sliding to the side, doing his best to avoid eye contact with her. "But can we discuss that later? Besides, nothin' happened that ya even need ta worry about. I wouldn't be standin' here talkin' ta ya if that were the case, right?"

"An' that's exactly why I'm worried!" Kazuha huffed, folding her arms in front of her chest, heaving a long sigh. "Really, Heiji, yer too careless around Kudo-kun. Just cause ya idolize the guy doesn't mean that you should let yer guard down around him like this. He's gonna catch on, if he hasn't already- an' what if he starts thinkin' of ya like Hakuba-kun does?"

"Do ya really think he'd do somethin' like that?" Heiji asked.

"...No." Kazuha admitted after a moment, shaking her head. She wasn't yet sure what to make of Kudo Shinichi, but perhaps Heiji's faith in him wasn't _entirely_ misplaced. She wasn't ready to _admit_ that much, however.

"Then, there's nothin' ta worry about, right?" Flashing her a grin, Heiji reached out, lightly ruffling her hair. "Have some faith, Kazuha."

"I'm just worried about ya." Kazuha mumbled, averting her eyes from him, muttering underneath her breath about him using that _totally unfair_ smile of his. "Let me do that, idiot."

"Yes, yes, I know." Heiji said, nodding his head. "Thanks, Kazuha. Yer the best friend that a guy could ask fer. But seriously," his expression shifting from a warm smile to a dry look, he placed his hands on her shoulders, spinning her around. "Get out of here already. Neechan's gonna start thinkin' some weird things about our relationship the longer that ya spend in here."

"It's not like ya've got anythin' that I haven't seen before." Kazuha quipped lightly.

"Yeah, when I was like _seven_." Heiji pointed out, all but shoving her towards the curtain. "I don't know if ya've noticed any, but I've grown since then, Kazuha."

"Really? Ya still seem as childish as ever ta me, Heiji." Kazuha retorted, all but allowing him to push her out of the dressing room. "Besides, Ran-san's not even-" Her words caught in her throat, however, the very moment that she found herself on the other side of the curtain, her face turning a bright shade of red as she realized that what she was about to claim was no longer true- as she came face to face with Ran herself, who had returned from the bathroom just in time to witness this scene.

"...Am I interrupting something?" Ran managed to get out, a faint pink tint to her cheeks. She had thought that Kazuha and Heiji didn't quite have _that_ kind of relationship, at least not _yet_ \- had she perhaps been a bit off of her mark? Certainly, she didn't recall her and Shinichi ever being _that_ close, even after they had been dating for awhile.

"Ah, no! Not at all, Ran-san!" Quickly shaking her head, Kazuha almost felt her cheeks burning, shooting a glare back towards Heiji- whose cheeks were rather flushed himself, if not of a bright red color. "I was just passin' Heiji a different shirt, an' we just... ah, just get back in the dressin' room already, idiot!" Turning sharply on her heel, it was now Kazuha's turn to shove Heiji back where he had come from.

Of all the things for her idol to see!

"It's really not what it looked like, Ran-san!" Kazuha said quickly, turning back around on her heel, waving her hands in front of her. "Since we've been together since we were kids an' all, we don't really think all that much about stuff like that! T-that's all!"

"It's fine, Kazuha-chan." Ran said quickly, giving the flustered girl a soft smile. "You don't have to worry about it. It's nice to have a childhood friend you're that close to, right?"

"Ah... yeah." Kazuha said slowly, nodding her head. "It is. As troublesome as he can be sometimes."

"I can still hear ya, ya know!" Heiji's voice rang out from the other side of the curtain, causing Kazuha to shoot a sour look in that general direction. She wouldn't be saying it if it wasn't true!

"I can understand that much." Ran told her, her gaze slipping back towards the dressing room that Heiji had been in. It had been only for just a moment, but a moment was all she needed to make out some rather unusual looking scars along his upper torso- old burn marks that almost appeared to be in the shape of chains. How exactly had he gotten something like that? And considering how old they looked, it must have been quite some time ago... probably when he was still a child.

Something about that made her uncomfortable- who could do such a thing to a _child_? And why chains? She didn't give voice to such things though, having the very distinct feeling that she had glimpsed something that she wasn't supposed to. She'd _certainly_ bring it up with Shinichi later when she had the chance though. She had a feeling he'd know more of what to make of it than she did.

For the moment, she merely shook her head, giving Kazuha a soft smile. "Then, while Hattori-kun's dealing with that, why don't we look at some dresses for you, Kazuha-chan? I saw a pretty cute one back there. I think it would look really good on you!"

"Ah, yes, in that case, let's do that." Kazuha said, nodding her head, finally managing to give Ran a bright smile of her own. Thank god though- judging by her reaction, she hadn't noticed a thing. If she were to have taken notice of Heiji's scars... well, that was something that most people were better off not seeing.

She had been too young to do anything about it at the time- but if it came down to it, she'd fight to prevent anything like that happening to him ever again. She didn't care who it was she would have to make her enemy in order to do just that- there was no way she would let anyone harm him on her watch.

He was more than just a shade of gray to her- he was her best friend, someone who had been by her side since before she could even properly remember. Without him there, her world would truly become a gray one- he was like the sun that lit it up, bringing the brilliant colors of dawn to everything.

Of course, she would _never_ admit that much to him.


	9. Wise Men

**AN** : Oh hey, chapter nine is here! I hope everyone who celebrates it had a nice Christmas yesterday, mine was pretty good for those wondering. We're starting to gear up for some action here, so I'm really looking forward to it! As always, thanks for reading, and be sure to leave a review on your way out! Until next time!

* * *

 **Devils Bleed Black**

 **Chapter Nine**

 **Wise Men**

* * *

It had been so long since she had last seen him in one, that Kazuha had somehow managed to forget just how _nice_ Heiji actually looked in a suit. For someone who could be so rough around the edges most of the time, he managed to clean up pretty nicely when he wanted to. She would have to remember to thank Ran again later for going out of her way to buy such a nice looking suit for him.

"Come now, Heiji, stop messin' with yer tie already." Kazuha fussed, putting aside the pounding of her own heart for the time being. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she gave them a quick pat, a bright smile crossing her face. "Ya look plenty fine, if that's what yer worried about, mister."

"I'm not worried about that." Heiji grumbled a little, sparing a quick glance towards Kazuha, feeling his cheeks heat up slightly as he did so, his gaze quickly darting back away again. It had been awhile since he had seen her all dressed up like this- and he had almost forgotten how beautiful she looked when she went all out like this. Even her hair had been styled up a bit special today, her usual ribbon giving way to something a bit more elaborate. "Y-yer hair looks nice today, by the way."

"Well, thank ya!" Kazuha said, patting him on the shoulders again, before pulling her hands away, hoping that the way she felt her cheeks heating up at his words wasn't showing on her face. With Heiji, there was no point in getting her hopes up. He probably didn't mean anything much by it. "It took some time ta put up like this, so I'm glad that ya don't think I look weird or anythin' like that." Coughing into her hand, her gaze flickered back towards him, drifting towards his neck for a moment, her lips pursing together a bit. "Ya _are_ wearin' yer charm under there, aren't ya?"

" _Again_ with the charm." Folding his arms in front of his chest, Heiji let out a long sigh. "Of course I am, _idiot_ , since ya'd never let me hear the end of it if I tried ta leave here without it." Well, he also didn't want to give her cause to worry about him more than he was _already_ giving her, but he wasn't about to admit _that_. "Are ya sure that ya wanna come with me? Ya heard from Kudo already what the real objective here is."

"Isn't the real objective all the _more_ reason fer me ta come with ya?" Kazuha asked, sporting a rather reassuring smile. "I'll be fine, Heiji. Rather, the one I'm more worried about in this situation is _you_ , an' the devil we might end up meetin' tonight only has half ta do with it. Ya've never really been all that great around the sort of people we're probably goin' ta be dealin' with tonight. Are ya sure ya can properly hold yer temper in?"

"It's not like this is the first time I've had to be dragged off ta some fancy party before, ya know." Heiji pointed out, quirking a brow. "I _can_ behave when I want ta. The old man would've already killed me ten times over if I couldn't."

"Oh, so yer sayin' that most of the time yer just not even tryin'? Figures." Kazuha teased, her smile only growing as Heiji's glower deepened. Letting out a small laugh, she took a few steps forward, giving him a light punch on the shoulder. "C'mon now, we can't keep Ran-san and Kudo-san waitin' fer much longer. This Suzuki woman throwin' the party even went so far as ta rent us a fancy limo ta take us there, so we shouldn't hold the driver up much longer."

"Yes, yes." Heiji said, nodding his head. "Speakin' of bringin' things with ya, ya did bring yer thing, right?" He asked, casting a glance down towards her. "Even if Kudo says that the devil we're dealin' with here might not try anythin', provided that he's _really_ there, ya never can tell how they'll react with someone like me around."

"Of _course_ I have it." Kazuha reassured him, reaching into her clasp, carefully pulling out the deep violet gem that she had hidden within it. If their opponent was a powerful devil, there was no way that she wouldn't bring it- she was only in training after all. Making charms was one thing, but she still hadn't learned to properly channel her powers without the use of a medium, so if they were going to face up against someone who might be strong, it was a given that she wouldn't leave her channeling stone behind. "I wouldn't go into any situation like this without it. Don't worry, if somethin' happens, I'll make sure ta protect ya, Heiji."

" _Idiot_ , I don't need ta be protected!" Huffing a little, Heiji tucked his hands into his pockets, taking a few steps forward, quickly catching up to and passing her. "I'm perfectly capable of defendin' myself, ya know. Just cause I don't have any magic doesn't mean that I'm completely useless."

"It _also_ means that ya can't defend yerself properly from magic attacks." Kazuha observed. "Ya said it yerself, ya know. Whoever this devil is that's in charge of eastern Japan or whatever, they're probably pretty powerful. Ya'd rather not be exposed in the middle of a bunch of rich people, nevermind in front of Kudo, right? Fer that, ya can use me as much as ya please, Heiji." Heaving a long sigh, she quickly caught up to him, keeping pace with him as she cast a glance up towards his face. "Although it's not like he probably doesn't _already_ suspect ya as it is already, given that ya've shown yer face ta him in that form _twice_ now."

"He didn't actually _see_ my face." Heiji mumbled, averting his eyes from her. "I got it, I got it. Ya've got a point, Kazuha. Don't worry, I'll be careful. I'm not about ta let my secret get blown in front of a bunch of strangers. Ya should understand that much yerself already. You were _there_ , weren't ya?"

She didn't need him to specify to know what he meant. Instead, Kazuha merely glanced away from him herself, closing her eyes. For someone as stubborn as Heiji to throw away something as important to him as the final match of the regional kendo tournament just for that... she knew exactly how much that decision still weighed on him. He had let down his team, for reasons that he would never be able to properly explain to them. It had been the correct one, given the circumstances, but she hadn't liked the look that she had seen in his eyes afterwards, one that told her he was wondering once again why he had been born as what he was.

Not all of the scars that he bore because of what he was were physical. A great too many of them were hidden where nobody could see them- and it was only on rare occasions that Heiji allowed himself to be vulnerable enough to expose such things to others. Even to her, who he had grown up with, who he had known all of his life.

"I know." Kazuha said softly, her voice quiet. One of these days, she feared that something would happen to him- and then everyone would know. She was proud of his detective work, but it was the danger that came with it that prevented her from being completely, one hundred percent supportive of it. She knew it was the same way with his parents- especially with his father, who knew the normal risks of it better than anyone else. Risks that ran even higher for someone who couldn't even show the world so much as a single drop of blood.

Thankfully, she didn't have long to dwell on it tonight.

"Kazuha-chan!" Calling out to the girl as she spotted the Osakan pair coming down the stairs, Ran smiled at her. "You really do look wonderful in that dress, just like I thought! And of course, you look rather charming as well, Hattori-kun."

"Ah, thank ya." Scratching his cheek a little, Heiji let out something of a nervous laugh, his gaze briefly flickering over towards Shinichi. Things had been so _normal_ between the two of them during the past few days that it almost felt as if the older detective might _already_ be aware of what he was trying to keep hidden- but if he wasn't going to bring it up, then neither was Heiji. "We're pretty much ready ta go whenever the two of ya are. That Suzuki woman hasn't said anythin' about the ones were supposed ta be meetin' tonight not comin' or anythin' like that, has she?"

"If she had, I would have let you know." Shinichi said simply, shaking his head. "Hopefully they'll both show up tonight. There's a chance that they could be entirely unrelated, but at the very least, I don't think this will be all for naught. If this turns up to be a dead end, we can still inquire among the party guests if they know of anyone who might fit the bill of who we're looking for."

"Who better ta ask about someone influential other than other rich people?" Heiji observed, flashing him a quick grin. "I got ya, Kudo. An' ya don't have ta worry about me, I'll be on my best behavior, promise."

" _I'll_ make sure of that." Kazuha said lightly, peering out from behind him. "Believe it or not, Heiji _can_ behave himself if he tries."

"That was unnecessary." Grumbling a little to himself, the way the Kudo couple let out a small laugh in response to her words not helping, Heiji could only shove his hands back into his pockets, turning on his heel away from them. "C'mon already, let's go. We can't keep that limo driver waitin' all evenin'. I'm itchin' ta get a new lead fer this case too. Once we nab this guy, we can go back ta Osaka, an' I can _personally_ teach a lesson ta the bastard tryin' to mess things up in _my_ territory."

"We don't know if the western leader is operating out of Osaka just yet." Shinichi quietly supplied. "Kyoto's a possibility as well." There were other places of course, but those two prefectures were _probably_ the most likely.

"Well, Kyoto's basically just Osaka's backyard anyways, so it's pretty much the same thing." Heiji said simply.

"I think people from Kyoto might protest to that, actually." Ran couldn't help but observe. Exchanging a brief glance with Shinichi as Heiji all but seemed to brush off her words, she gave her husband a soft smile, shaking her head. She knew that there was still something about the young man that he wasn't _quite_ telling her yet, judging from the way he had gotten quiet when she'd told him about the strange scars that she had noticed on his chest the other day. She knew that this time, the reason wasn't because he didn't trust her any- but was simply because it was still a matter that he hadn't entirely figured out himself just yet.

Spending the past several days living underneath the same roof with him had only enforced one thing to Ran- that although he could be rather quick tempered and hotblooded, Hattori Heiji was nothing if not a good kid, an impression that hadn't changed since the first time they had met. The odd, somewhat unpleasant tug from her mother's blood that she had during their first meeting had never quite come back- probably due in large part to getting to know him better. It wasn't something that she had forgotten about- but she didn't think it was critically important.

"Well, it can't be helped that they'd be wrong." Heiji said simply, shrugging his shoulders. He couldn't help but marvel at how differently he reacted to her, as opposed to the _other_ half angel that he knew. Maybe it was just something about Hakuba's overall personality, or his additional role as an exorcist, that caused his blood to boil the way it did, but after his first meeting with her, although he'd feel a faint tug every now and again, he could mostly ignore the faint pull that her angel blood produced.

That was probably for the best, really. He didn't think he would ever give into something like that- but considering that not only was she Shinichi's wife, but _also_ Kazuha's childhood idol, there was no way that he would ever want to end up doing something to hurt her, even by accident. In a number of ways, she really reminded him of Kazuha- no wonder she had ended up looking up to her so much growing up.

If she thought anything strange of him in turn, she kept it well hidden. Not just her- but Shinichi as well, who had all the more reason to be suspicious of him, all the more reason to be wary of the stranger that he had invited into his home. In a way, it almost made him feel _guilty_ about keeping it a secret- as much as he wanted to put his faith in him, wanted to believe that really would understand the truth, that was just a step that he couldn't take. If his faith was ill placed, if his hunch was wrong, the consequences of the fallout wouldn't only effect him.

He'd be lying if he said that he wasn't nervous about tonight- because if things went wrong, it was entirely possible that the one they were after might try to expose him in order to draw attention away from himself. There were other scenarios that could put him at risk, and in the heat of the moment, the concern that was usually always at the back of his mind might very well be forgotten. That wasn't the _only_ reason, of course. As his gaze drifted over towards Kazuha, a slightly soft expression crossing his face as he once again couldn't help but marvel at how pretty she was tonight, he knew that for as much as she wanted to protect him, he wanted to protect her in kind.

If he let the one he loved get hurt because of him, he really would be no better than a low class devil.

* * *

"Sorry about having you get us invitations at the last minute like this, Sonoko." Glancing over towards her longtime friend with something of an apologetic smile, Ran's gaze briefly flickered over towards her husband. "I hope Shinichi already properly explained what we're here for."

"He did." Sonoko told her, nodding her head. "And don't worry about it, Ran. I was thinking of inviting the two of you to begin with in the first place. Still are you sure _you're_ going to be alright being here yourself?" Dropping her voice, her gaze darted over towards the venue in which the party was being held. It was one of the smaller hotels that her family owned, only being thirty stories high, but it had a rather lovely ballroom on the top floor, all things considered. "You know, since there could be a devil here and all."

"I'll be fine." Ran said, giving her friend a reassuring smile. "I haven't been afraid of them for years now like I used to be. And besides, I have confidence in Shinichi's skills."

"Of course you do." Sonoko said simply, a rather sly grin crossing her face, elbowing her friend in the side. "So? Are those two the ones you have staying with you right now? Who would think there would be _another_ high school detective idiot out there?"

At the long, exasperated sigh Sonoko let out, Ran could only chuckle. Ever since she had been told the truth behind 'Deduction Queen Sonoko', her exasperation at the mere _notion_ of high school detectives had only seemed to increase. "Shinichi wasn't the only one you know, even back when we were high school students." She noted. "There was Hakuba-kun too, you know. Ah, speaking of Hakuba-kun, he's not coming to tonight's party, is he? I know that his father is sometimes in your own father's circles, but..."

"Hakuba-kun?" Sonoko blinked, before shaking her head. "No, I don't think so. At least, I didn't see him on the guest list. Why do you ask?"

"Ah, no reason. Don't worry about it, Sonoko." Flashing her a quick smile, Ran found her gaze darting towards Heiji, fixing on the back of his head for a moment. Shinichi had a pretty good point earlier- that the combination of the two of them could be rather explosive. After all, Hakuba had the same kind of blood that she did flowing in his veins, and given how it had reacted when she had first met Heiji, she had the feeling such a thing would only be stronger in someone like Hakuba, who was much more in tune with it.

"Well, if you say so." Sonoko said, before finally paying attention to Shinichi, who had more or less seemed as if he had wanted to speak with her for the past minute or so. "All three of the people that I want to introduce you to are here tonight, Shinichi. I checked the guest list earlier. Are you _sure_ this is going to go over fine? You didn't even let me put up a barrier around the ballroom."

"If you put up a barrier, then the devil we're trying to find would have realized something, and might not even come. We can't have that." Shinichi noted. There was a small part of it that had been for Heiji's benefit as well- on the chance that he really wasn't human. Though he was putting forth an effort to hide it in his own way, the evidence that was mounting against his humanity was undeniable. When Ran had told him about the strange, chain shaped scars that she had seen that were almost burned into his upper chest, he knew right away what they might have been caused by.

Although information on the white horned devil had been restricted at his clearance level, it was easy to find information about the exorcists who had tried to capture them. One of them had been a chain user, and had used that method to try and bind the child. If Heiji and the white horned devil really were one and the same, then that would certainly explain why he might have such scars. Of course, he hadn't told Ran anything just yet- just in case he was wrong.

Besides, he _had_ meant what he had told the white horned devil- that he considered him as an ally. The more he got to know him, the closer to answers he got, the more Shinichi knew that they were largely irrelevant. Hattori Heiji was who he was, be he human, devil, or something that possibly existed between the two.

"Besides, it'll be fine. I'm here, after all." While he might not be much of one to sing his own praises as he had in the past, he did still have a fair degree of confidence in his own ability. "Kazuha-san over there is a priestess in training as well. Between the two of us, on the off chance the devil _does_ try something, I think we'll be able to properly handle it. Don't worry, seeing to the safety of your guests will be my top priority if something goes wrong."

"Well, I should _hope_ so." Sonoko said simply. "If my mother finds out about this, she's not going to be all that happy that I allowed this. Ah, but don't worry about the building itself. We can _more_ than afford to fix any damage that it might take, so long as it isn't structural. To that extent, you should be careful, but if you need to blow out a window or something, feel free, I guess."

"Well, hopefully it won't come to that." Ran said, casting her friend a quick smile, before giving Shinichi a warning look to not make too much of Sonoko's generous words.

"But there's nothin' that livens up a dull party like bustin' up a few windows." Completely ignoring the glare that his choice of words earned him, Heiji entered into the conversation himself, dropping his pace back so that he fell into step with the others. "Well, don't worry too much Neechan, we'll be careful. If somethin' happens, it'll be the devil's fault, not ours."

"I think _yer_ the one she's worryin' about the most, Heiji." Kazuha replied dryly, shooting him a warning look of her own. "Don't worry, Suzuki-san. I'm sure it won't come ta that. Ah, an' thank you for allowin' me ta attend the party as well."

"No, no, it's hardly a problem." Sonoko told her, waving a dismissive hand. "Any friend of Ran's might as well be a friend of mine. You're Kazuha-chan, right? Ran told me that she had a _cute_ priestess staying with her right now."

Although she flushed a little at Sonoko's choice of words, the light elbowing such a thing earned her from Heiji soon dashed away such an expression. Shooting him something a dirty look, one that he responded to with a rather amused grin, she puffed out her cheeks, turning her head away from him. "Ah, yes! I'm Toyama Kazuha. I might just be in trainin', but I'll do my best to ensure that nothin' bad happens at ta any of yer guests, Suzuki-san."

"But a priestess and a wannabe detective, huh?" Sonoko observed. It didn't take a genius to figure out what the relationship between the two of them was- although there were differences, the core of it was so similar to what Shinichi and Ran's had been in the past that it was almost scary. "What a combination."

" _Who's_ a wannabe detective?" Heiji grumbled, shooting the older woman a slight glare. "I told ya already the other day! Ya grew up with this guy over here, so ya should know better than anyone that the title of high school detective ain't somethin' given out that lightly. I'm not a _wannabe_ anythin'!"

"Yes, yes, I'm sure." Sonoko said, nodding her head, stepping into the elevator, making space for all of her guests inside. Honestly, every high school detective that she had the misfortune to meet was like this. "Once we get up to the ballroom, I won't waste any time in introducing you to everyone. I might not be an exorcist, but I still know when someone is kinda fishy. You sometimes run into them in this sort of environment- devils, I mean."

"They do seem to be attracted to this sort of lifestyle. The high level ones are, at the very least. They probably think it's easier to manipulate people with this sort of persona." Shinichi observed. Although hopefully he would know right away if any of the people he met here tonight were devils, there was a still a chance that they might be able to somewhat mask their aura, especially with so many other people around. Still, the devil probably didn't know they were coming, which gave them the advantage, if they were really here.

At least, he could only hope that they weren't aware that they were coming. If they did, it would mean that they might have been keeping a close watch on him. It wasn't as if his role in bringing down the Organization was totally unknown amongst devils, but most didn't know his face. The off chance that he might be wrong was something he needed to be prepared for- and it was exactly why he had concealed a foldable version of his mask on his person. Experience alone had long ago since taught him to be prepared for what he thought was a situation in his favor to be turned against him.

Hopefully, he would be able to make them talk. It would make things easier if one of the supposedly high level members of the Wish Fulfillment Foundation was willing to part with information in regards to their activities. He had his doubts that it would work out the way that he hoped, but it was worth a shot.

Granted, there were ways of making a devil talk against their will, but Shinichi had never been fond of them. All the more so after he had started to understand a bit more deeply that the world of devils wasn't as black as he had first thought it was. Still, if he had to resort to something like that, then he didn't have much of a choice. At the very least, he thought, his gaze briefly flickering over towards Heiji, he would make sure that when he did it, he was _alone_. He had more or less seemed to earn a degree of Heiji's trust- he didn't want to break it over something like this.

The last thing he wanted was for Heiji to investigate something like this on his own. Devil or not, it was still a rather risky investigation- it was only now that he was a proper adult that he realized _why_ his father had been so against him trying to investigate the Organization largely on his own at first when he had been the same age. Perhaps it was a bit of hypocrisy, or perhaps it was simply the wisdom that came with age- but whatever the case, he'd rather keep Heiji where he could see him. And if at all possible, safe and largely out of danger- he meant to keep his promise to his father.

"Well, it's not like it's only _just_ the devils livin' the high life that take advantage of other people." Heiji remarked, sparing a glance back towards Shinichi, blinking a little when he realized that he had been looking at him. Frowning slightly at the smile the older detective cast his way, he simply gave him a slightly awkward one in return. "Plenty of humans who do that just the same. Ya see 'em all the time in this line of work."

"Well, I can't deny that." Sonoko said. "Ah, we're here. This is the floor." Stepping out of the elevator as the doors opened up, she waited for them all to get off of it. "I did at least warn our guards that something might happen tonight and to be prepared for that chance, but aside from that, just like you told me to, Shinichi, I didn't do anything else."

"Thank you, Sonoko." Nodding his head, Shinichi's gaze flickered away from Heiji. No doubt that he was starting to suspect that he suspected the truth- but it wasn't enough to make him talk about it, it seemed. He probably had no intention of breaching the subject on his own. For which, frankly, he couldn't blame him.

"If you really want to repay me, then you and Hattori-kun over there can come with me to the next Kid heist." Sonoko told the two of them. "I think the two of you working together at a Kid heist will provide everyone with some rather _interesting_ entertainment."

"I don't think heists are supposed ta be _entertainin_ '." Heiji remarked dryly, glancing around the ballroom as they entered it, narrowing his eyes. He couldn't really feel anything- but that didn't mean that there were no devils here. Their aura was probably just drowned out by the throng of people in the room.

In the back of his mind, just for a moment, he felt their gazes shift, their eyes cold and hard, turning towards him all at once, a hand subconsciously straying up to his left ear. In the next moment, he took in a deep breath and buried such an insecurity back deep down where it had come from.

"You've really never paid much attention to him before, huh?" Shinichi could only remark, his tone equally as dry, making a mental note of what almost seemed to be his subconscious gesture. "Well, we'll see about that Sonoko. Hattori-kun's still a high school student, I'm sure his parents don't want him staying up late on a school night."

"Who cares what my _parents_ think? I'm already seventeen, it's not like I'm still a child that needs a chaperone." Heiji grumbled, ignoring Kazuha's faint giggle. Of all people to hear that from, it was a damn former high school detective. "Anyways, let's get down ta business. Those three are here, right?"

"Ah, that's right." Sonoko said, nodding her head, glancing around the room, trying to find any of the people in question. "Ah, there's two of them now. You know, the father and daughter combination that I mentioned the other day. The father's nothing much, but there's no way that you could miss the _daughter_ \- she's the one with all the boys gawking at her, after all. She's weirdly popular with them."

At the edge of disgruntlement her tone held, it was fairly clear that Sonoko almost wished _she_ were at the center of attention in the same way. Just as she said, it wasn't hard to spot where the daughter might be, although given that she was surrounded by every young man around her own age that was in attendance, the girl herself was actually rather hard to make out. As they drew closer, Heiji's frown only grew, almost sensing something from her. From the way that Kazuha reached out to take his hand, he knew that he wasn't the only one either.

It wasn't quite a devil's aura, but there was something about it that he didn't like.

"Excuse me, Koizumi-san." With a practiced smile on her face, Sonoko all but butted in through the throng of admiring teenage boys, glancing between father and daughter. "I have some people that I would like to introduce to the two of you. I hope that's not a problem for either of you."

"Of course not. This is your family's party after all, Suzuki-san." It was the daughter who spoke, tucking a stray strand of black hair behind one ear, a strange color that glittered almost red underneath the light. With a slight wave of her hand, she all but silently ordered the young men around her to give her some space, before turning her full attention towards the ones that Sonoko had brought with her. "I'm Koizumi Akako. And this is my father, Koizumi Fujihiko."

For his part, her father barely even reacted, even when she mentioned his name. Given the way he didn't resemble his daughter very much, she either took strongly after her mother, or was adopted- they'd have to ask Sonoko for more details later. There was something almost a bit distant in his eyes that made their skin crawl, as if he wasn't quite all there.

"This is Kudo Shinichi and his wife, Kudo Ran." Sonoko introduced the couple first, a bright smile crossing her face at the way the two of them flustered in spite of themselves- those were newlyweds for you. If there was any downside to the two of them being married now, it was that she couldn't quite tease Ran as she had in the past. But well, given time, she would think of a new thing to tease her about. "And these two over here are Hattori Heiji and Toyama Kazuha."

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you." Akako observed, casting a rather cool glance over them. Her gaze seemed to linger on each one, her crimson eyes almost seeming to carefully asses them before moving on. "I believe I've heard of at least one of you before. You're a detective aren't you, Kudo-san?"

"I'm pleased that you would have heard of me before, Koizumi-san. That's correct, I am a private detective." Shinichi told her, giving her a polite smile, his gaze briefly darting over towards her father. Something was _definitely_ wrong there- but it didn't appear that he had been possessed. Neither father nor daughter gave off any kind of devilish aura, but if he didn't miss his guess, it would appear that the daughter was wrapped in some kind of a spell. A charm, perhaps, given the number of boys hanging around her.

She probably _wasn't_ the one that they were looking for, but she was interesting nonetheless. Something he would have to remember to check out later.

"The pleasure is all mine." Akako said simply, before diverting her gaze towards the pair more around her own age. Although her expression largely didn't change, the edges of her lips curled slightly into a frown as she laid her eyes upon them. "But, Suzuki-san, is there a reason why you've introduced these four to us?"

"Ah, no." Sonoko said, quickly shaking her head. She _seriously_ wasn't good with this girl. There was always something about her that kind of gave her the creeps. "This is their first time at a party like this, so I just thought I would introduce them to a few people. Speaking of which, there's still plenty more people I need them to meet, so..."

"I understand." Akako told her, nodding her head. "It was a pleasure meeting all four of you, however brief it was. Of course," and her gaze lingered a bit on Heiji as she spoke this time, "...you're always welcome to come speak to me again a bit later, if you like. Now that we've been introduced, there's no cause for us to be strangers."

" _See_?" Sonoko whispered as she lead the four of them away from her, making sure she was well out of earshot first. "She's a bit weird, isn't she? And that father of hers barely _ever_ talks."

"She's certainly a bit weird, but..." Shinichi trailed off, putting a hand to his chin, his gaze trailing down towards Heiji. "What do you think, Hattori? You and Kazuha-chan have been quiet for awhile now."

As if he half hadn't expected to be addressed, all but startled out of his thoughts, Heiji glanced over towards Shinichi. It had been there when he had first laid eyes on her, only growing stronger the closer he drew to her. Rather than a devil's aura, the aura that seemed to cling to her was almost _inviting_ , enough to throw his thoughts into a bit of a disarray. He was under the impression that she had some kind of charm about her, given the way the boys around her were acting, but he didn't think that was it. What she pulled at wasn't that, but rather... that would probably explain why Kazuha had his hand in a vice grip the whole time, one that she hadn't quite let go of just yet. "There's definitely somethin' that's off about the two of them, but I don't think either of them are devils. But it's Kazuha who would probably know that better than me, ain't that right?"

"Ah, yeah. I don't think she was a devil." Kazuha said, shaking her head. Not a devil, to be sure, but not normal either- there was magic that clung to her, which in a way, almost seemed to run parallel to that of her own. It was an unpleasant feeling all around. "If I had ta say, rather than a devil..."

"Ah, no, it's nothin'. At any rate, she's probably not a devil. Right, Kudo-san?" Shaking her head, Kazuha flashed them a smile, even as her grip on Heiji's hand tightened once more. He hadn't seemed to have faltered in her presence, which was a good thing, but there was no way that she would have sensed something from him. She could only hope that his human blood would be enough to counterbalance whatever she might try, provided she had become interested in him. And from the way her gaze had lingered on him...

Although he definitely didn't miss the way Kazuha backtracked on her own words, Shinichi decided not to press it for the time being. They still had one other person that they needed to meet, after all, they couldn't afford to get distracted. "I agree. I don't think she's the one we're looking for. What about this other person? A _Takabe-san_ , if I'm recalling what you said earlier correctly."

"Yeah, the husband of the Takabe Group's youngest daughter." Sonoko said, nodding her head, before glancing around the ballroom, trying to locate him. "Ah, he's over there. It doesn't seem as if his wife came with him today, though. I hear that she hasn't been doing very well lately, even though she was always the picture of perfect health. Sounds a big red flag, if you ask me."

"Well, he could just be yer run of the mill gold digger, tryin' ta off his rich wife." Heiji said simply, shrugging his shoulders. Glancing down towards Kazuha, he quickly flashed her something of a reassuring smile- she had picked up something from that girl just the same as he had, he knew. Given her reaction, it was probably from the feeling that he had gotten from her, but he was pretty sure that the two of them had come to more or less the same conclusion.

That girl was a witch.

Well, it wasn't like he was going to let his mind bend _that_ easily, and he was half human besides that. He definitely hadn't missed the way her gaze had lingered on him towards the end, so it would probably be the best if he at least tried to be mindful of her for the rest of the evening. For now though, he had to focus, carefully slipping his hand from Kazuha's grasp.

"Ah, Takabe-san!" Calling out to the dark haired young man that had caught her eye, Sonoko waved a hand. "I have some people that I would like to introduce you to, if you don't mind."

"Oh, Suzuki-san. Always a pleasure to see you again." Turning on his heel, the one who had married into the Takabe family cast a rather pleasant smile towards her, before his gaze flickered towards the ones behind him. His expression might be one of a smile, but his eyes definitely weren't smiling. "Some people to introduce to me? I don't believe I've seen any of them around before at any previous parties run by your family, if you forgive me for saying."

"Ah, they're personal friends of mine." Sonoko told him with a smile. "This is Kudo Shinichi and his wife, Kudo Ran. And Hattori Heiji and Toyama Kazuha. This is Takabe Daichi. I believe that he runs a small finance company, if I recall correctly."

"That I do." Giving her a rather polite nod of his head, Daichi set down the glass of wine that he had been holding, pausing briefly to adjust his glasses. "It's a pleasure to meet all four of you. I _did_ hear that you were friends with that famous detective, Kudo Shinichi, but I never thought I would meet him here, Suzuki-san. I never got the impression from what I read about you that you were the type to attend such events, Kudo-san."

"Well, it is a party in honor of Sonoko's older sister." Shinichi said cooly, his expression not shifting. Although he masked it well- better than any number of devils he had dealt with in the past, there was no mistake- the one who stood before him wasn't human at all. What's more, if he didn't miss his guess, he might be aware of who he was as well- beyond just what he did on the surface. "Of course I would attend."

"I do suppose that's true." The man nodded his head, before his gaze turned towards the younger members of the group, his expression not even showing a sigh of faltering. "I do believe that I've heard of you as well before, Hattori-san, or at the very least, of your father. He is the head of Osaka's prefectural police, if I recall correctly."

"Yeah, that's him alright." It was all he could do to try and contain himself right now. Every instinct he had, every fiber in his being, was trying to convince him to have at it with this bastard right here, and right now- there was no way this bastard _wasn't_ a devil. Heard of his father, he had said, and frankly, he believed it- just not what he claimed to have heard about him. "Ya got somethin' ta say about the old man, Takabe-han?"

"Of course not." Daichi said simply, shaking his head. If he was feeling cornered at all in the presence of an exorcist, he wasn't showing it in the least bit. Either he thought himself that powerful- or he had some kind of trump card. "I'm merely saying that I've heard of him before."

"Ran, why don't you and Sonoko go ahead and give her sister our congratulations?" Shinichi asked, his gaze briefly flickering back towards her. "I have some things that I need to discuss with Takabe-san here."

"Ah yes." Slowly nodding her head, Ran didn't need the rather insistent tug of her blood to tell her that Shinichi had found what he was looking for. In spite of that, she kept her composure, something that she wouldn't have been able to do even five years ago. "Be sure to meet up with us in a little bit though, Shinichi. We rarely get a chance to attend parties like these, it might be nice for the two of us to have a dance together a bit later."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." Shinichi told her, nodding his head, not quite letting out his held breath until the two of them were heading out of harm's way. Really, he'd like to send Heiji and Kazuha with them, but he knew that the former wouldn't go for it, and having the latter around to help protect the former was thus important.

The devil had said he had heard of Heiji's father- and it appeared that there was an underlying meaning to his words. Did Hattori Heizo have a reason to be famous amongst the upper rings of devil society?

"Something to discuss with me?" Daichi asked, only now letting a hint of emotion show on his face- but even this, this curious arch of his brows, was something clearly practiced. "Am I under investigation perhaps, detective? I don't believe I've quite done anything to earn it."

"Well, I just wanted to have a chat with you about your _business practices_." Shinichi said simply, overall fairly impressed by how well Heiji was biting his tongue at the moment, sensing the situation for what it was. Perhaps he hadn't been giving him enough credit. "I'm curious to know a bit more about your finance company."

"We're a rather simple operation." Daichi said. "I can assure you, everything we do is perfectly legal. I know there's any number of suspicious loan groups out there, but mine is certainly not amongst them. We're here for the sake of the people, after all."

"Yeah, I'll _bet_ ya are." Heiji couldn't help but mutter underneath his breath.

"Well, I'm sure you would rather _avoid_ this discussion being too public, Takabe-san." Shinichi told him simply, returning the man's placid, artificial smile with one of his own. If there was one thing that he had learned as Conan, it was how to mask his true feelings with a smile, something that came in handy more times than he cared to admit as an adult. "We have reason to believe that you might have a connection to a certain Foundation with rather shady practices."

"I have no idea as to what on earth you could be talking about, Kudo-san." Reaching up to adjust his glasses again, Daichi gave him a rather apologetic look. "I have no such relationships with any Foundations, much less ones that would require investigation by a detective."

"C'mon now, we both know that's not true. No use playin' dumb." Folding his arms in front of his chest, Heiji quirked a brow. "Maybe if ya cooperate an' answer our questions, Kudo here'll consider lettin' ya off on good behavior."

"Oh?" Casting his full attention Heiji's way now, something in Daichi's smile seemed to shift, growing even more cold that it had been before. "Is that why you're cooperating with him, Hattori-san? It's not just your _father_ that I've heard about, you know. I've heard many things about _you_ as well. You're rather infamous amongst us."

Cutting off Heiji before he could walk into that trap, sensing that he was one moment away from doing so, Shinichi simply held out a hand in front of him, shaking his head. If this devil was attempting to sow discord between them, then he wasn't going to let him do it that easily. "We're not here to discuss anything about Hattori, Takabe-san, we're here to speak with you. Now, are you going to allow us to escort you out of here privately, or do you want to make a scene in front of all these people? You seem like a rather wise man, I'm sure you'll make an equally wise decision."

"Thank you for the compliment." Daichi told him, taking a slight step back, pushing up the brim of his glasses again. Whatever act he was trying to put up, he had apparently decided to drop it now. "But it would appear that there's an option that you haven't considered, Kudo-san. Did you think that I wouldn't take notice of people sneaking around one of our bases of operation? As you said, I _am_ a wise man. And like any wise man would, I came prepared."

As the sound of a gunshot rang out throughout the room, the devil's smile didn't falter.


	10. Like a Shot in the Dark

**AN** : Here's the tenth chapter! As always, I want to thank everyone reading this story, but especially those of you who take the time to review- you really do brighten my day! Well, with that said, I don't have much else to say this time around, so see you next update!

* * *

 **Devils Bleed Black**

 **Chapter Ten**

 **Like a Shot in the Dark**

* * *

Darkness.

As if the gunshot had served as some kind of trigger, the party hall plunged into darkness all at once. The first gunshot that rang out was aimed at the lights, though that alone wouldn't nearly have been enough to cause the total blackout that enveloped the hall- something else must have been set up in advance. The moonless night and cloudy sky reflected through the windows of the hall provided no illumination- it was almost as if the darkness had swallowed everything.

The second gunshot that rang out carried with it a sound that Shinichi recognized right away- the sound of someone being shot. In the darkness, he couldn't determine how badly the person had been injured, and only had a vague idea of where the sound itself came from, he didn't miss what happened next.

Panic.

It was an understandable reaction, really. Being trapped in a pitch black room with someone with a gun was something that would pitch quite a number of people into a frenzy. And when you packed enough of those people in one room, there was only ever one result from that. Were they not in the corner of the room, they would have been caught up in it themselves, a crushing panic as everyone attempted to flee the room all at once. And while their location prevented them from being crushed, it also meant that they couldn't move from where they were either.

He would have to apologize to Sonoko later, it would seem. Although his prediction was spot on, in so far as the devil didn't do anything to give himself away in order to get away from them, he had nevertheless still created a situation in which he could escape. Takabe Daichi did not seem the sort who enjoyed staying in a situation that was disadvantageous to him, and it would be a simple matter for a devil to slip away, unnoticed, even in a pitch black room.

But now there was a chance that he would come after them on his _own_ terms- and that was something that put Shinichi at a disadvantage. Talented though he was, there were too many unknown factors- what kind of servants did Takabe Daichi have in his possession, what kind of people had he already made contracts with? On top of that, as a third gunshot rang out, one that seemed to only shatter something glass, Shinichi knew that he couldn't leave this situation alone either.

First, he needed light.

"Can you cast light spells, Kazuha-chan?" Sparing a glance over towards where he knew the priestess in training was, Shinichi narrowed his eyes. His eyes had begun to adjust to the darkness, just enough so that he could make out a troubled expression on her face. "We need to find out where the gunman is, and remove it from his possession before anyone else gets hurt."

If this ended up turning into a murder case, it would be very tricky. Cases dealing with possession often were, even now, after quite a bit of time had passed since humanity had come to learn of the existence of devils. Even if the person who had been shot already managed to get away with a minor injury, it was still a difficult situation- but that would come later. What mattered now was containing it, and preventing it from getting any worse.

At the very least, he could make out Sonoko's voice above the crowd, telling everyone to remain calm. She wasn't doing much good, but at the very least, it told him that both she and Ran were likely fine. That was good- that meant that he could give his full concentration to his work.

"I can." Kazuha said quickly, and for a moment, he could make out something of a worried tone to her voice, before a resolute one took hold of it.

That troubled expression combined with that worried tone- he had a bit of a bad feeling about this. Glancing around his immediate surroundings, Shinichi had to bite back a swear as he realized that not only was Takabe Daichi long gone, but so was _Heiji_.

That wasn't good. Whatever it might be that Heiji was concealing from them, whatever his true nature might be, he was _still_ just a seventeen year old boy, and one that he had promised to look after, at that. If something happened to him under his watch, if he allowed him to get hurt, he didn't even want to _begin_ to imagine what the consequences from his _father_ would be. He had to wrap up this situation as quickly as possible, so that he could try and track both him and the devil down.

He had a pretty good feeling where he found one, he'd find the other.

* * *

"So yer just runnin' away, with yer tail between yer legs?"

From the very moment that the party hall had been plunged into darkness, Heiji had been more or less able to figure out what the devil's plan was- to create a distraction, and slip away during it. In that way, he could leave the situation which didn't favor him, without having to expose himself as a devil and give up everything which he had obtained for himself. Sneaking into a prominent human family by marrying into it, most likely in order to gain access to their assets and position alike... he had probably deceived some woman just for the sake of that. Pretending to be someone who cared about her, who loved her- and from the sound of what the Suzuki woman had said earlier, he was probably thinking of silently eliminating her.

That was something that he couldn't forgive.

All the more so because it reeked of a mockery of the relationship of his own parents.

"I prefer to view it as a _strategic retreat_." Turning on his heel, Takabe Daichi cast him a rather amused look, an icy smile on his face. "Still, I didn't expect that you would come after me alone. What of that priestess _friend_ ," the way that he spoke that word made him sound as if he almost wanted to laugh, something which only sent another surge of anger through Heiji,"...of yours?"

It hadn't been that hard to catch up with him, but then again, it almost seemed as if he _wanted_ to be caught- he was pretty sure this guy had something to say to him. He was more than confident that Kudo would be able to handle the situation that he left behind- but he wasn't about to let this bastard get away from them tonight. Even if they could get his address from Sonoko, there was no guarantee that he would return there- and a high chance that he would likely plan some kind of ambush for them in turn.

Besides, there was no way that he could ignore a bastard devil like this when they were right in front of him. He shared half of his blood with monsters like this, it was his responsibility to try and clean up after them as best he could.

"I don't need Kazuha ta deal with someone like ya." Heiji told him, a fierce smirk crossing his lips, a golden glimmer starting to creep into his otherwise blue eyes. He would have to be careful not to expose himself, but it had been awhile since he had been able to fight someone without holding back. He couldn't deny that there was a part of him that was almost looking forward to it. "I can more than handle an asshole like ya."

"I fail to see any reason why we have to fight at all, child." Even as he sensed the rising bloodlust in the young half-devil before him, an icy smile remained on his face. It would appear that the rumors that he had heard about the half blood were really true- he was everything that he ha expected and more. "Our Foundation is simply granting humans their deepest desires, providing them with an avenue that they can achieve their dreams. I fail to see anything wrong with that."

"Listen, I might be half human, but that kind of _silver tongued bullshit_ isn't gonna work on me. Especially not when yer snatchin' souls away." Heiji told him frankly, taking a step forward. "What yer doin' is nothin' more than manipulatin' an' usin' humans fer yer own gain. Granted, I don't know _what_ that gain might be, but that's what I'm here ta find out, Takabe-han. Whatever ya bastards are plannin', I'm gonna put a stop ta it right here."

"I see." With a slightly disappointed frown, Daichi could only shake his head. "That's unfortunate. I was thinking that you would be the perfect fit to join us, child. After all, you have also have a desire within you that you can't grant under your own power, can you? You can't hide that much from my eyes."

"There's no way I'd ever join someone like ya, _idiot_!" The words almost came out as a hiss, Heiji's eyes narrowing sharply. "Ya had me follow ya out ta somewhere where nobody was around, surely ya didn't _only_ want ta try an' tempt me with a bunch of empty promises, did ya?"

"And how do you plan on explaining it to Kudo-san in the event that you _do_ somehow manage to defeat me, child? Or did you perhaps not think that far ahead?" Daichi couldn't help but ask, quirking a brow. At the way Heiji bristled at his question, he knew that he had hit the mark- what an amusing young man he was. "He doesn't know, does he? What you are."

"It doesn't matter. Kudo's not the type ta care about somethin' like that in the first place." Heiji insisted, half trying to convince himself. He _was_ right- he hadn't actually thought ahead that far yet. "What matters is that there's no way I'm lettin' ya get away. I don't know what ya've got planned once ya do, but whatever it is, sorry, I'm not givin' ya chance ta do it."

"Those are some awfully resolute words coming from a mere child with no magic of his own." Daichi said simply, heaving a long sigh. "What a shame, that your mother's bloodline has been reduced to this. Were he still alive, your grandfather would be _ashamed_ of what's become of it." Shaking his head, he cast another cold smile towards the much younger devil. "But if you ever desire to abandon your human side, and awaken that power buried within you, you can always come and seek me out, child. I would be more than willing to help you."

"Like I said, _cut the crap already_!" This time Heiji _did_ hiss, anger once more bubbling up inside of him. "Just ta let ya know, I've never _once_ cared about that sort of thing. There's no way that I'd ever do somethin' like that, _idiot_!"

"I suppose not. A shame, it _really_ is." Daichi repeated, shaking his head. "I suppose I could always try and drag you before the boss by force, though. Once you're in front of them, I'm sure even someone who has been as brainwashed by humans as you will begin to see the light." As he spoke, his human guise began to melt away- revealing that his true form wasn't _half_ as humanoid as Heiji would have expected it to be.

And a lot _bigger_ than he had expected him to be to boot. Towering a good two or three feet taller than him, with claws that could probably rend him in half if he were careless enough to let them, any traces of the otherwise plain looking Takabe Daichi had been erased, leaving behind a bipedal beast- and one that looked quite sincere in delivering on his earlier promise.

Still, even as the beast lashed out at him, Heiji couldn't help but find himself grinning from ear to ear, that very same blood boiling within him in response. Right now, he didn't care to deny it, nor did he see any reason to- by bringing this guy down, he would only be proving himself to be _more_ human, not less. Besides, always being careful to keep his strength and physical abilities underneath control at all times, no matter what, was something that tended to wear him down- he wasn't about to pass up a chance to go all out. They were so few and far between, after all.

"If it's gonna be like that, ya big ugly bastard, then bring it on!" With a fierce grin, Heiji jumped backwards to avoid him. In this empty lot without many people around, under the cover of a cloudy, moonless sky, he didn't have to worry about anyone seeing him. Golden eyes glittering with excitement, his tail twitched in anticipation. "Ya might have size in yer favor, but I don't think ya can move very fast, as big as ya are."

"Still, no wonder ya have ta hide yer true appearance behind that disguise of yers. There's no woman in the world who would fall in love with somethin' as ugly as ya. I feel sorry fer yer wife fer a _whole new_ reason now." He couldn't help but taunt, even though his words didn't appear to be very effective in riling his opponent up. Contrary to his current appearance, it would seem that his personality was still very cool, which was almost a bit disappointing. It meant that he wouldn't be able to return the favor by pissing him off in return.

"Are you not concealing your own self from the rest of the world just the same? I believe the humans have a turn of speech for that- something about the pot calling the kettle black." As monster-like as the devil appeared now, it would appear that his large jaws did not, in fact, hinder his ability to talk, though his words came with a deep, guttural growl that they hadn't possessed before- and that was something that Heiji frankly found to be a pain as well. He wasn't interested in anything this guy had to say to him in the least, so he might as well shut up already.

Honestly, more than the devils that attacked him outright, he cared for this type _a lot_ less.

"Ya think I want ta hear somethin' like that from a _literal monster_? Spare me." Quirking a brow, Heiji couldn't help but laugh. As he thought, the devil's movements were rather slow, but it's blows had quite a bit of force behind them- as long as he could keep avoiding his them, he could hold him here for quite some time, unless he decided to turn tail and run away on his own. Still, with him being this size, he didn't doubt that Shinichi would be able to track his aura down rather quickly, once he wrapped up the matter in the ballroom.

As for what he would do when he showed up... well, that was something he would figure out when it came to it. Sticking to his human appearance might have been wise, but it was easier to move like this. Either way, he could imagine that he'd _probably_ get quite the earful from Kazuha once everything was over- not to mention his _mother_ , if she heard about this. Well, he would deal with that too when it came to it.

Flashing a rather toothy grin as he leapt out of the way of another blow, Heiji found himself letting out a low whistle, watching as it gouged the earth where he had been just seconds ago. He was pretty durable all things considered, and healed rather quickly- but not so much as other devils- he probably _shouldn't_ take one of those head on.

"So? What is yer boss's grand plan then?" Heiji couldn't help but ask- a glimmer of curiosity surfacing within his eyes. "Since ya seem so convinced that I'd be interested in helpin' ya fer some reason, I can't help but wonder why ya think that's the case. Or are ya not gonna tell me that much now that I've gone an' rejected yer crap offer?"

That in itself was noteworthy- too bad it was also something that he had no way of bringing up with Kudo unless he decided to tell him the truth. He knew that he had a reputation that preceded him amongst devils- frankly, he almost _wished_ that his reputation as a detective was as well known among humans, as his reputation for being a blood traitor was amongst devils- but he hadn't expected it to turn up _here_.

"You should have thought about that _before_ you so soundly rejected me." The devil's words carried with them a trace of amusement. "If you seek to stand in the way of their plans, then I'm afraid that not only you, but that young exorcist you're with will have to be removed from this world."

"Oh? Yer pretty loyal ta this boss of yers." Heiji couldn't help but note, quirking his brows. That in itself was rather strange- judging from what his mother had told him in the past, while there was loyalty amongst devils when it came down to family lines, they otherwise were a rather disloyal lot, even to each other. That was part of the reason that the Organization that Kudo had taken down five years ago had made such a stir at the time- at that time, nobody had heard of anything like that before.

Who was this boss, then, to command such loyalty? For a moment, Heiji's thoughts drifted back towards the witch that they had met at the party, for a moment wondering if she might be involved with this after all. Still, he didn't think that was quite right. Witches certainly _could_ control devils, but he didn't think she had the kind of power to control a devil as high level as this one, let alone _four_ of them.

It might not be a bad idea to ask her about the matter if he could, but... he got an unpleasant feeling from just being around her. He didn't want to find out firsthand if he could be controlled as easily as normal devils.

"That's only natural. If only you would come with me, Hattori-kun, you would understand that much yourself." The devil said simply, somehow managing an expression that almost appeared to be a sly smile on that beast-like face of his.

There was _definitely_ was something wrong here. There was a _certainty_ to the devil's words that made Heiji downright uncomfortable- was there really some form of manipulation at work here? Still, for someone who was being manipulated, the devil nevertheless seemed to possess quite a bit of free will still. And for someone to be able to manipulate four high level devils, they must have been rather powerful- was it something else, then? But what other reason would devils have to begin working together like this, if not through some kind of manipulation?

He didn't have long to dwell on such thoughts, however, before he caught a glint of silver out of the corner of one eye. Swearing underneath his breath, realizing that the chains that almost seemed to be raining down from the heavens probably _weren't_ Kudo's work, he barely managed to avoid being ensnared in them himself. Crap- he hadn't considered the fact that there might be another exorcist nearby- and a chain user at that. He already had _enough_ unpleasant memories of those bastards for one lifetime, he didn't need to deal with that type again.

Especially because when it came to exorcists who used chains who lived in the Tokyo area, there was only _one_ person who came to his mind. In lieu of his mask, which he hadn't had the forethought to bring with him, Heiji shielded his face with his hand as best as he could, ignoring the stinging sensation that moving his right arm gave him. He must have been nicked by the chains, but checking the extent of the damage would have to wait until he could get away from here.

There was no way he was going to let _Hakuba Saguru_ catch him here, with this kind of appearance.

"I thought I felt a pair of suspicious presences, and it would appear that my instincts were right on the mark." Heiji didn't even need to look at him to know that somewhat smug sounding voice belonged to that blonde exorcist. Perched neatly on the edge of the fence that surrounded the otherwise empty lot, he felt Hakuba's gaze fall on him, something which almost instinctively caused him to stiffen.

It was fine- as long as he couldn't get a good look at his face, there was no way he would be able to tell who he was. It was dark, after all, and even half-angel exorcists didn't have any better night vision than a normal human. At the very least, the bastard would end up fulfilling his objective for him- he might not like the guy, but he was more than confident that he could hold that devil in place until Shinichi arrived.

Although, reflecting back on it, he probably _should_ have told Shinichi about the fact that he had run into Hakuba while he was investigating that abandoned building in the first place. He hadn't wanted to mention it at the time purely because he didn't want to create a situation in which the two would ever end up discussing him... but in retrospect, it would have probably been better if he had.

Still, since they were working on the exact same case, it would be fine to leave the matter to him, as annoying as it was. Watching out of the corner of his eye, through the gaps in his fingers as the silver chains that had been meant to bind him wound their way back towards their master, he knew he couldn't waste another second here. Turning on his heel, he put all of his strength into his feet, clamping his other hand over his injury, so that he wouldn't leave behind a trail of blood to follow.

He had to get away from here. Kudo might understand, but Hakuba? There was no way that would happen. He already knew full well what it was that Hakuba suspected of him, and he wasn't about to go and give him proof with which he could use to accuse him. Accusations that would not only destroy his own life, but the lives of everyone around him. He couldn't have that.

Under no circumstances, could he ever allow something like that to happen.

Swearing underneath his breath as the felt the edge of one of those silver chains trace his ankle, Heiji winced as he landed behind the other side of the fence, pressing his hand against it for a moment. Honestly, that Hakuba bastard- going hard on a teenager- he knew there was a reason that he couldn't stand the guy.

Pushing past the stinging pain of his ankle, Heiji quickly got to his feet once more, deciding to use the darkness of the night to his own advantage, quickly blending into it. With the other, much larger devil there, Hakuba wouldn't be able to chase after him easily. Odds were, he would chose to remain where he was, in order to contain the devil that he viewed as the bigger threat.

* * *

He had gotten away.

Hakuba Saguru had never been much of one to care for that feeling- that feeling of letting something slip through his grasp. It wasn't borne out of any kind of selfish feeling, not when the things escaping from him were either criminals or devils. Lately, it had been a feeling that he had been experiencing all too often with that white clad phantom thief, Kaito Kid, so to have it happen here, again, he couldn't deny that it annoyed him more than a little.

Still, at the very least, he had managed to capture the big fish. Given the circumstances that he had found the pair of devils in, it would appear that the two of them probably weren't friends- they had been fighting. Just restraining the monster-like devil took all of his concentration, and judging from the way that he had lurched underneath his chains when he had attempted to once more capture the fleeing devil, he knew that he couldn't afford to divide his focus right now.

It was frustrating, but for the moment, he would have to let the other devil go. He hadn't gotten a good look at it's face- judging from the way that it had moved to hide it once he realized Hakuba was here, it was probably close to the one it wore as a human. A humanoid devil, with a rather unusual pair of white horns- that was certainly not a trait that he had seen anywhere else before.

Even if it almost felt as if this wasn't the first time he had crossed paths with that white horned devil.

On the other hand, the person now approaching him was someone that he knew he had met a number of times before. Perfect timing too- he was going to require some assistance if he had any hope of sealing this devil away. As it writhed in pain from his silver chains, Hakuba tightened them all the more, making sure that the beast-like devil didn't have a chance to escape, and turned what little attention he could afford to spare to his fellow exorcist.

Kudo Shinichi. The two of them had first met as fellow high school detectives, and had only discovered that they shared more than one occupation afterwards. Not only was his magic strong, but he was also a clever, reliable fellow- and the fact that he was here was probably no coincidence. No coincidence indeed, Hakuba couldn't help but note, as he caught the faint way that Shinichi almost seemed to be searching the area, checking to see if anyone else was there, before finally addressing him.

"I see you managed to capture the devil that I lost, Hakuba." Shinichi couldn't help but quip, finally turning his gaze on what he could only assume was Takabe Daichi. The form was completely different form that of his human one- but the aura was rather similar, so there was probably no mistake. "I have to thank you for that."

Speaking of auras, the aura that belonged to that white horned devil seemed to have faded away now. He almost caught himself letting out a breath of relief at that- although judging from the dark pool that he could make out just in the corner of his vision, he probably hadn't gotten away unscathed.

Hattori Heiji had vanished, and the white horned devil had appeared. It definitely wasn't a coincidence. The strange words uttered by the devil that now was in too much pain to even speak were proof enough that- his wording had been a bit tricky, but he hadn't missed the somewhat indirect way he had referred to Heiji as 'one of us'. In exactly what way was something that Shinichi had yet to determine- but the way that he had bristled at the implications of Daichi's statement had told Shinichi everything that he would ever need to know about his own motives.

Hattori Heiji, he concluded, was not human- but as Ran had said after the first time she had met him, he also wasn't a bad person.

He could only hope that he was alright- at least judging from the amount of black blood pooled up, it didn't appear as if he had been hurt very badly. And more importantly, he hadn't been caught. He knew full well what Hakuba's attitude towards devils was- and although he also understood his reasons, in the end, he just couldn't agree with his methods.

"Think nothing of it. There was no way I could ignore this kind of aura." Hakuba said simply. "There was another devil, but he managed to get away from me, I'm afraid. Lower level than this one, but all the more slippery for it. Still, at the very least I managed to injure him, so he should probably be licking his wounds for some time. If you want to go after him, he went that way."

Using his head to indicate direction, he couldn't help but notice the way that Shinichi's eyes almost seemed to narrow at his words. If there was one thing that he just couldn't agree with Kudo Shinichi on, it was his treatment of devils. Even though he was an exorcist, he took a lighter hand towards them than most, only pulling out all the stops when he thought it was necessary. He couldn't help but view it as a weakness.

"No, that won't be necessary." Shinichi said simply, shaking his head. He doubted his words would be able to convince Hakuba, but they might at least convince him to hold back some, should they have another encounter. "I know that devil's aura. He's assisting me with a recent case I'm working on, as it were."

"As always, I just can't agree with your methods, Kudo-kun." Narrowing his eyes, the thought of an exorcist and a devil working together being something that he couldn't even begin to wrap his head around, he merely shook his head. At the very least, that answered the question of why the two devils were fighting. "I suppose this one is related to your case as well, then?"

"He is." Shinichi said, giving him a rather curt nod of his head, before reaching into his pocket, removing yet another sealing amulet from inside of it. Hopefully it would be enough to contain the devil in question- but at the very least, it should be enough to hold him until he had a chance to transfer it to a more secure seal. There were still things he needed to ask it, but right now, it wasn't in any condition to say anything.

And to think it had been so talkative before- he really couldn't agree with Hakuba's methods after all, even when it came to something like this.

"Have you heard of the Wish Fulfillment Foundation, Hakuba?" Shinichi asked, taking a few steps forward. With a silent indication to his fellow exorcist that he was going to seal the devil now, he held forth the amulet.

"I have, as a matter of fact. I've been investigating their activities as well." Hakuba noted. He wasn't that surprised that Shinichi had heard of them- they were in exactly the same line of work, after all. Between him and the likes of Hattori Heiji, Kudo Shinichi was more the sort of person that he had expected to cross paths with while investigating this case. "I found one of their business cards in the possession of a student of mine, who fainted suddenly. I'm afraid that his soul was stolen. I've been looking into the matter since then."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Shinichi said, drawing in and letting out a breath, channeling his magical energies. It was a good thing that the devil that had been manipulating the gunman- a puppeteer type, had been fairly weak, all things considered. Even someone still in training, like Kazuha, could handle something like that on her own- which left him with more than enough magic to seal something like of this level. "It would be useful if we could compare notes at a later time. Right now, I've got quite a few things to clean up as it is, in addition this fellow here, of course."

Plus, there was the matter that he really didn't want to let him and Heiji cross paths. If he sensed the same things that Ran had when the two of them first met, it probably wouldn't go over all that well. He wanted Heiji to trust him, now more than ever, and bringing Hakuba into the fold with him probably would not help with that.

Well, as much as he had enough magic left to seal Takabe Daichi away, doing so still took quite a bit out of him, enough so that he stumbled somewhat as the devil was absorbed into the amulet. It didn't happen without resistance, but after a few moments, he managed to get it under control, letting out the breath he had been holding. He would be running a bit low for awhile now- if it kept up like this, dealing with this Foundation really was going to be a rather taxing job.

"Was there another incident?" Hakuba inquired. "If you're in need of my assistance, Kudo-kun, then I'll gladly offer it to you. I might not entirely agree with your methods, but we'll accomplish more by working together."

"No, it's fine. The matter has already been wrapped up. You've already done more than enough just by getting here when you did, Hakuba." Shinichi said simply, shaking his head. "I have a rather talented apprentice priestess with me at the moment. As for comparing notes, I'll call you when I have a chance later to arrange that."

"Yes, of course." With a curt nod of his head, Hakuba couldn't help but narrow eyes. An apprentice priestess? If he recalled correctly, wasn't that girl who tended to hang around Hattori Heiji one as well? And given the fact that he had run into Heiji in Tokyo, investigating the very same case...

But that was odd. If Shinichi really was working with that high school detective, why wouldn't he tell him as much? And did he really not notice anything suspicious about him? Or perhaps...

No. Regardless of his methods, he didn't think that even Shinichi would knowingly work together with a devil who left a trail of murders in his wake, for the sake of nothing more than his own entertainment, if what he suspected about that person was really true. If Hattori Heiji was truly a devil, it was unlikely that he would expose himself in front of an exorcist- if Shinichi really was knowingly working with one of them, then it probably wasn't him.

Well, he supposed it was also possible that his suspicions were off the mark, and that whatever it was that plagued the high school detective of this generation was something else entirely. As suspicious of him as he was, he wasn't about to jump to conclusions with no proof. After all, he didn't quite want to believe that a man as competent and clever as Hattori Heizo would really allow a devil to infiltrate his own family.

"Then, I'll contact you at a later time, Hakuba." Shinichi said, tucking the amulet back into his suit pocket. "Considering the scale of this case, I might need all the help I can get."

"Even if you have to resort to working alongside one of those monsters?" Hakuba couldn't help but ask. "It's for that reason that the guild considers you a problem, even if you were instrumental in bringing down that Organization before they could achieve their goals."

"Monster is a bit harsh, Hakuba." Shinichi couldn't help but note, turning back slightly on his heel, giving him a small smile. "He's a rather interesting fellow, that devil. Besides, he's only just a kid. And I've said it once, and I'll say it again- I don't care all that much what the guild thinks of me. I do what needs to be done to get to the truth. If you keep treating the world as if it's black and white, you'll end up in trouble one of these days."

"Ah," with a slight hint of an amused grin, he couldn't help but let his gaze linger on him for a moment longer, "...but I suppose I shouldn't be mentioning the color white to you.

The slight disgruntled twitch was all that it got him, but it was more than enough. Turning back on his heel, Shinichi made his way back towards the hotel. Ran had contacted the police before he had left, so he should probably try and be there when they arrived. There was also the matter of the currently missing Heiji- he could only hope that he wasn't too badly hurt.

If something like that had happened because he had taken his eyes off of him, then he would have failed in his promise to his father. And be he human or devil, he wasn't the type who liked going back on his word.

* * *

"Stay _still_ , Heiji." Kazuha's words almost came out as a hiss, as she resisted the urge to swat her childhood friend for a second time. "Honestly, what were ya thinkin', goin' after that devil like that by yerself? Ya could have gotten hurt a lot worse than this!"

When she had gotten a mail from him telling her to get a first aid box from the hotel's front desk, and meet to him on the hotel's roof, she had a bad feeling that she knew what she was going to find when she got there. That sheepish smile that Heiji flashed her as she entered the room did nothing to alleviate her anger towards him, and the very first thing she had done, after making sure he was more or less in one piece, was to give his half-devil self a good smack.

At the very least, his black blood didn't show through on his black suit, nor on his black shoes- but his white dress shirt and white socks were a total loss. As much as she wanted to dive right into a lecture, they didn't have much time before Shinichi returned, and the police arrived, so she had to hurry up and finish treating him as soon as possible.

"It wasn't the _devil_ that hurt me." Heiji pointed out- but that was all he got out before he found himself sucking in his breath, as Kazuha once again dabbed a cotton ball coated in rubbing alcohol over the burn on his right arm. Behind him, curled around his back, the tip of his tail perked straight up, before slumping back down when she withdrew the cotton ball again. "Besides, it's not like I expected _Hakuba_ ta show up then. I thought it would be _Kudo_ who caught up with me first."

"And that would be better?" Unable to keep her skepticism out of her voice, Kazuha merely glanced up at him, locking eyes with him. "Don't tell me ya bought a black suit in the first place because ya knew there was a chance ya might be gettin' hurt."

Glancing away from her, unable to quite meet her eyes, Heiji could only awkwardly scratch his cheek, giving her something of a nervous laugh. Letting out another yelp as she once again pressed the cotton ball against his wound, this time with far more pressure than before, he couldn't help but regret all the decisions he had made in his life that had lead him up to this point. He had known that Kazuha was going to be angry at him, but he had clearly underestimated just by how much.

"Come on, Kazuha, everything's fine. I wasn't badly hurt, an' the devil's been captured. Hakuba didn't even have a chance ta see my face." Heiji reassured her. "It's fine, it's fine! Besides, since I'm with you right now, they won't be able ta track my aura either. We've got plenty of time."

"We don't." Kazuha said shortly, heaving a long sigh, setting aside the cotton ball and pulling out a roll of bandages. "The police will want to speak with me in regards to the possession incident. There's a chance that I might get in trouble for sealing without a proper license, you know. That's serious!"

"It's fine, it's fine. Kudo's on good terms with the police around here, or so I've heard." Heiji told her, flashing her a broad grin, holding out his arm a bit so that she could probably wind a bandage around it. It would have almost been better if he had received this wound from the devil- it would already be healing if he had. A injury received from an exorcist's weapon, even if it had just grazed him, was another matter entirely, though. It would probably take awhile for him to heal. "Besides, it was an emergency situation, right? I don't think you'll get in any trouble."

"So ya say." Kazuha said, carefully setting the bandages in place. She had gotten awfully used to this sort of thing- when you had a friend who couldn't even be brought to the nurse's office for a simple paper cut, first aid skill was something of a necessity. "Well, at the very least nobody was killed today, and the man who got shot wasn't hit in a dangerous location."

"Well, that's fer the best." Watching as Kazuha carefully put away the supplies she had taken out of the first aid kit, Heiji rolled the sleeve of his shirt back down, before pulling his jacket back over it, concealing both the black bloodstain and bandage alike. "And? Did that guy have a business card on him too?"

"So it seems." Kazuha said, nodding her head. "Now come on, Heiji. We have ta get back down there at some point, otherwise people are goin' ta start lookin' fer us. What are ya gonna do if Ran-chan or her friend catch ya with that sort of appearance?"

"Ya've got a point there." Heiji admitted, rubbing the back of his neck, the tip of his tail nervously twitching behind him.

It was probably a good thing that he at least had the foresight to remove his suit jacket before unfolding his wings to get up here in the first place, otherwise he would have had a hard time explaining the tears that would have resulted in. Reverting back to his human form, he frowned a little, feeling the throbbing in his ankle more prominently than he had before. Still, it didn't sting as much like this, so he could manage to deal with it being a little sore. Rotating his right arm a bit, his lips twisted in a frown- it definitely hurt a bit to make any big movements, so for now, he would try and keep those to a minimum.

"Well? Do I look more presentable now?" Heiji asked, his broad grin returning to his face.

"Well, as presentable as yer capable of bein', I guess." Kazuha said lightly, tucking the first aid kit underneath one arm. For the moment, she wrapped up the cotton balls that she had used to disinfect Heiji's wound in her handkerchief, and tucked them away in her clutch.

"What's that supposed ta mean?" Heiji couldn't help but grumble, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Relax, I'm only just teasin' ya." Kazuha told him, nudging his side lightly. "Still, what will I do if the police call my mother about this?"

"Ya say that like that's not somethin' that ends up happenin' on a fairly regular basis, fer the _both_ of us." Heiji couldn't help but note. "Well, ya can just do the same thing ya always do when that happens. Blame it on me."

"Well, I guess it is pretty much _always_ yer fault." Kazuha noted, placing a finger against her chin, before she flashed a mischievous grin towards her childhood friend. "But I suppose that can't be helped. Ya've got nothin' but trouble runnin' in yer veins, an' I'm not talkin' about yer devil blood."

"Hilarious." Quirking a brow, Heiji merely shook his head, giving her something of a small smile. "Well, at least with this, we're one step closer ta closin' this case."

"Provided that ya can get Takabe-han ta talk." Kazuha pointed out. "He didn't really seem like the type ta give much away."

"...yeah. That _is_ gonna be the challenge, isn't it?"


	11. Rejoice, For You Are Not Alone

**AN** : Sorry for the wait, but here's the next chapter! I actually didn't think I would finish it today, but it looks like I was wrong about that! Had an incident today where I got some toilet bowl cleaner in my eye... flushing them out is, how we say, _not fun_. Thankfully everything seems to be a-okay! As always, thanks for reading, and for those of you who have taken time to leave reviews- an extra thank you to you!

Until next time!

* * *

 **Devils Bleed Black**

 **Chapter Eleven**

 **Rejoice, For You Are Not Alone**

* * *

"Finally over!"

Heedless of anyone else around him, Heiji released a long breath, all but collapsing on the couch in the living room of the Kudo manor. It wasn't the first time that he had to go through that sort of questioning, but each and every time he did, it was nothing but a pain. He thought the questions would never end! His injuries certainly weren't helping his mood, and he wanted nothing more than to wrap everything up so he could get back and clean up properly- before he was to face what surely was going to come.

Thankfully, they hadn't crossed paths with Hakuba at the questioning. That really would have soured his mood for the rest of the evening.

He wasn't an idiot. He knew that Shinichi had been looking in his direction several times that evening, a considering look on his face. For the most part, he had been avoiding him, and had been doing so rather well, but now that they had finally made it back to his place, he imagined that he was running out of time.

Well, it wasn't time to discuss matters with him just yet, he thought, taking note of him approaching out of the corner of his eye. Rising to his feet, Heiji reached up a hand, loosening the knot of his tie, flashing the older detective a broad grin.

"Sorry, Kudo. I'm feelin' pretty wiped, so I'm gonna take a shower first, afore we do anythin' else. Ya don't mind, do ya?" Heiji asked, locking eyes with him. "I'm not really much of the suit type ta begin with, so the faster I change out of this thing, the better."

For a moment, it almost looked as if he was going to raise a protest- but in the end, Shinichi merely gave him a small smile, nodding his head. If he forced it, he might get the wrong idea. "That's fine, Hattori. I imagine we're all pretty tired."

"Right, right." Nodding his head, Heiji cast a glance Kazuha's way, giving her a reassuring smile. She had been fretting over him all evening, for one reason or another. If it wasn't because of his wounds, then it was because of Shinichi- and if it wasn't because of him, it was because of Hakuba. "Then, I'll be down later. No need ta wait up fer me, though."

With a wave of his hand, Heiji turned on his heel, making his way upstairs. It might have been a convenient excuse, but he wasn't lying about wanting to take a shower. There was still dried blood clinging to him, that Kazuha hadn't been able to clean up properly, and it was seriously starting to bother him.

What's more, his fight with the devil had gotten interrupted, so all of that bloodlust- for lack of a better word for it- now had nowhere to go. Rubbing the back of his neck, Heiji let out a long sigh, glancing at his reflection in the mirror. Blue eyes briefly flickered gold in the mirror, but he held it back, knowing that now wasn't a good time. When he got like this, it could sometimes be a bit hard to maintain his human form, in spite of it being just as natural to him as his other. The change was brimming underneath his skin, but he would need to hold it back for awhile longer yet.

Yet another reason why a nice, hot shower was just the ticket. It would serve to calm him down some, to steady the fire in his heart.

"That bastard Hakuba. He probably _would_ go hard on a high school kid." Heiji muttered to himself, locking the bathroom door behind him. Tugging his tie off and casting it on the floor, he shrugged his suit jacket off, casting it aside on top of it. If it hadn't already been ruined, he would have taken a bit more care of the suit that Ran had bought for him, but it was something of a moot point now. As he thought, the right sleeve of his white dress shirt had been stained with black blood- if he had been hit on the torso, then he definitely would have been out.

Were his blood red, he could only imagine how much easier his life would be.

"Can't be helped, can't be helped." Taking off the dress shirt, he carefully folded it up, tucking it underneath the suit jacket for the time being. He would deal with it later if he needed to, but he was pretty sure that his identity had already been blown. Resting a hand on the bandages that Kazuha had wrapped around his right wrist, he could only imagine that Shinichi was busy asking her some questions of his own right now.

He felt a bit bad, abandoning her to that. She understood, though, what kind of mood he was in right now, as well as why he was avoiding Shinichi for the time being- although she would probably still get a bit mad at him later for it. He'd have to make it up to her somehow.

But not until all of this was over. And while they might have been able to capture one of the four bosses, this wasn't anywhere near over yet.

* * *

"Can I speak with you for a moment, Kazuha-san?"

Thank goodness that she could conceal her emotions a bit better than Heiji could- otherwise she was certain what she was thinking would be showing on her face right now. Here it comes, indeed.

"About what, Kudo-kun?" Kazuha asked, glancing up at him, a slight frown crossing her face. "Do ya need my help with the devil, or somethin'? I imagine when it comes ta sealin' somethin' like that, yer better at it than I am, though."

"Ah, no, that's not it." Shaking his head, Shinichi gave her a smile, briefly catching Ran's slight glower from the corner of his eye. She had been giving him the stink eye since earlier- no doubt she had caught any of the numerous looks that he had been sending Heiji's way. He hadn't yet fully voiced his suspicions to her, but she knew enough to doubtlessly know what he was thinking.

Sending a reassuring smile in her direction, silently promising her that things would be alright, his gaze flickered up towards the stairs. A bit of privacy would be nice at the moment- if he was going to confront Heiji about the truth, it would be best to do it alone, at least for now. Whatever it was though, he wouldn't keep it from Ran- they had made a promise, after all, that there should be no more secrets between the two of them.

Watching as Ran simply heaved a long sigh, making her way upstairs, Shinichi turned his full attention back towards Kazuha. He'd owe her one later, though. "By the way, I didn't get the chance to say it earlier, but you did a great job back there, in the ballroom. Your mother really has taught you well."

As if she hadn't been expecting the praise, Kazuha blinked, a tint of red creeping onto her cheeks. "...thanks." If that had earned him any points with her though, it clearly didn't last- because not a moment later, up came that guarded expression of hers again. "So? What is it that ya want from me, Kudo-kun?"

She definitely knew, alright.

"You know, there was _one_ detail that I kept from the police tonight." Shinichi began, carefully watching her as he spoke. From the light of understanding in her eyes, he knew that she understood what he meant. "There was actually one more devil there tonight. One that I've had cause to meet twice before, actually. Well, that said, I didn't get to actually meet him face to face tonight."

"Not as a _devil_ , at the very least."

"Ya know, Kudo-kun. I don't really like it when people beat around the bush, so if ya've got somethin' ta say ta me, I'd appreciate it if ya just came out an' said it." Kazuha told him, folding her arms in front of her chest, locking eyes with him. If he thought she was going to back down just from something like that, then maybe he wasn't as good a detective as he thought he was. How long did he think she had worked to protect Heiji's secret for him, covering up for him when he slipped up?

Ever since they were kids! And she'd do it to the very end of her days, if necessary.

"Now, now, I don't mean it in a bad way." Shinichi told her, raising his hands. "It's because of that other devil that the one we were after tonight didn't manage to get away. Because of that, the police were able to find Takabe-san's wife at their manor, and have managed to get her into recovery. I owe him quite a bit, really."

As he thought, his wife's sickness had _everything_ to do with the devil that had slipped into her family, taking up the role of her husband. Rather than kill her directly, a feat that would have been most simple for a devil, he had taken instead to poisoning her slowly, making it look as if she had fallen victim to a mysterious illness. If he had been allowed to return home, it was possible that the situation might worsen.

Not to mention, he would have been able to prepare a counterattack- and that was something that he had very much wanted to avoid.

"Oh?" Lifting her brows, Kazuha didn't relent to that either. However much faith Heiji put in him, this might very well be some kind of tactic. Exorcists could be a wily bunch, that much she knew from her mother. "Yer speakin' awfully highly of a devil, _mister exorcist_. That sounds like the thing I should tell that guild of yers about."

"No, I don't think you would." Shinichi said simply. "Well, even if you did, it's not as if they don't already know that I'm something of a problem member anyways. The only reason that they haven't kicked me out of it yet is because they can't afford to lose the person who helped bring down that Organization."

"Problem member?" Kazuha asked. "Are ya tellin' me that ya actually _sympathize_ with devils or somethin' like that?"

"It depends on the devil. They're not all as bad as everyone seems to think. I believe that's something you know quite well yourself." Shinichi told her. It was subtle, but her expression shifted somewhat at his words. "What I'm trying to say, Kazuha-san, is that I don't have any ill intentions towards Hattori. I promise."

" _Hah_? How did the subject get ta Heiji?" Kazuha asked, turning on her heel, breaking eye contact with him. If he thought he was going to win her over with just a few pretty words, then he had another thing coming. It _did_ confirm what she had dreaded though- that he knew. Not the whole truth, but enough- far too much, really. "I thought we were talkin' about some devil."

Stubborn too, Shinichi noted. In that regard, she and Heiji were rather alike.

"That's true, isn't it? Sorry, I got a bit off topic there." Shinichi said, deciding to drop the subject for now. He couldn't blame her for being wary of him. Her childhood friend had been attacked by exorcists in the past, after all, and when he was still just a child at that. Of course she was going to be cautious around one of them, even if the person himself wasn't.

The duty of a priestess was one that was passed down from mother to daughter- though some daughters chose not to take up what was carried in their blood. Kazuha, he suspected, had chosen to take the role for a reason much different than most- not to help rid the world of devils, but to protect one.

It spoke to the depth of the bond that she had with him- and spoke to exactly what kind of person Hattori Heiji really was. While it was in a devil's nature to tempt humans, and lead them astray, the devotion that Kazuha had towards him was something far distant from that twisted, false sort of thing.

It was one that was based of trust- and also love.

But well, if Heiji was anything like _he_ was at that age, he probably didn't notice at all.

* * *

"Ya know, ya really shouldn't say things ta Kazuha that make her angry. She's the type ta hold grudges."

"I'll keep that in mind." Glancing up from his novel, Shinichi set it aside for the moment. Turning his head so that he could look behind him, he cast what he hoped was a disarming smile up towards Heiji. "Enjoy your shower?"

"Sure did!" Flashing him a broad grin, Heiji let the towel that he had borrowed to dry his hair hang over his shoulders. Casting a glance down towards the amulet that Shinichi was currently wearing around his neck, he quirked a brow. He could feel the devil that had been sealed within it, all but _brimming_ with anger. "So? We gonna crack that baby open an' see what that bastard has ta say?"

"Not in my house, we're not." Shinichi noted. "Some place a bit more secure."

"An' away from that Neechan too, I take it." Heiji noted, coming around to the other side of the couch, taking a seat next to him. Planting his feet on the table, he ignored the pointed look that earned him. "She around?"

"She went upstairs." Shinichi told him, heaving a slight sigh. "I assume that's where Kazuha-san went off to as well, seeing as you ran into her."

"She went ta take a shower herself." Heiji said. "Like I said, ya must have said some things that really bothered her, cause she was actin' half like she wanted ta leave here an' find a hotel. Not an easy thing ta do at this hour! Tried it before, wasn't fun."

"Do the two of you travel together often?" Shinichi asked, setting his novel aside on the coffee table, moving to swat Heiji's feet off of it at the same time. "You're rather close."

"Well, we _are_ childhood friends." Heiji told him, quirking a brow. "So? Ya gonna keep beatin' around the bush all evening, or are ya gonna ask me that question of yers that's burnin' in yer mind right now? I gotta sleep sometime, Kudo, an' I'm pretty sure yer wife's not the type who likes havin' an empty spot next ta her in bed when yer actually around."

"You're being rather direct about it all of a sudden, for someone who spent so much time hiding it. Something change your mind?" Shinichi asked, getting to his feet. "Let's not talk about it here, though. Have I shown you the library yet, Hattori?"

"It's kind of hard ta miss." Heiji noted, getting to his feet. Tucking his hands into his pockets, he glanced up towards Shinichi, trying to determine what he was thinking. So far, things seemed to be working out as he hoped- or so he thought, anyways. Outside of detective work, he wasn't always that great at reading people, and Shinichi could be a hard one to read if he wanted to be. "Feels like it takes up most of yer house."

"That's an exaggeration." Shinichi said, turning on his heel. "Well, we'll talk about it there. You don't want Ran to overhear anything just yet, do you?"

"I guess." Heiji said, following behind him, eyes narrowing once he turned his back to him. As much faith as he wanted to put in him, he couldn't deny that his heart was beating rather loudly in his chest right now- that feeling that was rising up in him was unmistakably that of anxiety. "She's half, isn't she?"

"She is." Shinichi said simply, casting a glance back towards him. "She's the reason I became an exorcist in the first place. When she was younger, she used to be far more frightened of devils than she is now. I guess become a national karate champion helped ease a few of her worries."

Well, even now, she still didn't really care for things like ghosts and such. But admittedly, it was very hard to punch a ghost.

"With her skills, I'm not surprised." Heiji admitted. "Kazuha's recorded some of her matches before, so I can tell that she's really skilled. Hell, if I could fight like _that_ , I don't think I'd be afraid of much myself anymore. Not that I _am_ , though. Afraid of stuff."

"Thank you." Gracefully accepting the compliment on his wife's behalf, Shinichi couldn't help but smile. Although there were times in the past when her karate skills instilled him with a certain sense of fear, he couldn't claim that he wasn't proud of her. She really was amazing- and more than a little terrifying. He couldn't honestly claim that he didn't like that, though.

"Still, judgin' from what I've heard of ya, I'm just surprised this entire place isn't just filled with nothin' but Sherlock Holmes novels." Heiji couldn't help but remark as they entered the library, taking a moment to look around. He hadn't really had any cause to visit this portion of the manor just yet- but it really was impressive. As one would expect from a library that originally belonged to a world famous novelist- his own father's study paled in comparison.

He wondered which one it was- the parent who had taught Shinichi their craft. The father? The mother? He didn't have the answer to that. He'd learned about Shinichi because Kazuha's mother had told him that much about him, probably out of concern that he would get himself into a situation where he might be put at risk, but he didn't know from whom he had learned the craft.

The mother, perhaps.

"I see you've been speaking to Ran, then." Shinichi noted, letting out a small laugh. It would appear his reputation for being a Holmes fan had preceded him- as had a great many other things. "I'll admit, I'm quite the fan of Conan Doyle's works, but I do enjoy reading other things as well. More than half of this is my father's anyways, and a small bit my mother's, though she mostly contains her own books to her own room."

"That explains the romance novels." Heiji noted, pulling out one of the aforementioned books, paging through it with mild curiosity. It sounded _terrible_ , which was probably why she read it. His mother was the same way. She'd been enamored of them even before she went and fell in love with one herself.

"Yes, well," Shinichi cleared his throat, carefully taking the book from Heiji, and placing it back where he found it. If he didn't know any better, he was trying to prolong not speaking of the matter at hand. Which, granted, was understandable. It probably wasn't an easy thing to discuss, least of all with an exorcist. "...We're getting a bit off topic, aren't we?"

"Good job detective, ya caught me." Taking a step back from him, Heiji folded his arms in front of his chest, casting an expectant look towards Shinichi. "So? What is it that ya wanted ta say ta me, Kudo?"

"How are your wounds?" Deciding to start from there, Shinichi leveled his gaze with Heiji, silently telling him that the time for lies and half-truths was over. If they were going to work together, then there needed to be truth between them- whatever that truth might be. "Judging from the fact that you're walking just fine, they obviously aren't that bad."

"They're fine, they're fine." Heiji was quick to reassure him, rolling down his right sleeve to show where he had wrapped bandages around it. They had opened back up a bit in the shower, causing fresh stains of black to form on them. His work might not be as neat as Kazuha's, but he'd made do. "Thanks fer askin', Kudo. How close are ya ta that bastard anyways?"

"To Hakuba, you mean?" Shinichi asked, his eyes slightly narrowing at the sight of the black stains on the undersides of the bandages. "We're both fellow detectives, and fellow exorcists. We've worked on a couple of cases together, starting back when we were both in high school. I take it you've met him, then."

"Yeah." Nodding his head, Heiji admitted that much. "Although tonight was a first, in case yer wonderin'. He has... certain _ideas_ about me though." He told him. "Any chance ya might share 'em, Kudo?"

"Not at all." Shinichi answered honestly, shaking his head. "If I did, don't you think I would have simply attacked you the first time we met?"

"Ya've got a point there." Heiji admitted, letting out a long sigh. "So? What is it that ya want me ta tell ya exactly, Kudo?" Making his way across the room, Heiji pulled out the chair in front of the desk, all but flopping down in it, letting out something of a yawn. Now that the bloodlust from before was starting to fade, he was feeling a bit lethargic, actually.

"You're not human, are you?" Shinichi asked.

Sometimes the direct questions worked the best.

"I can assure ya, I'm _perfectly_ human, Kudo." Heiji told him, placing a hand over his heart, a mock look of offense crossing his face. As he watched Shinichi open up his mouth to say something again, he lifted a finger, cutting him off. "I'm human, but I didn't say I was _just_ human, Kudo."

"And that means what, exactly?" Shinichi asked, brows knitting together in thought. As he suspected, it might very well be that he was a human who had become tainted with a devil's blood somewhere along the line... at quite a young age, at that. How such a thing could have happened was still a question that he needed answered, since there was nothing within the guild's records about any such incidents in Osaka involving children, at the very least, not on his clearance level.

Perhaps his mother knew more-

"I'm half." Heiji told him simply, leaning back in the chair, folding his arms behind his head. "Like Neechan is, only with _somethin' else_."

That, Shinichi did pause at. Certainly, during his time as an exorcist, he had run into a wide variety of devils, enough to shake the core beliefs that he had grown up following. Devils that existed somewhere in the realm of gray, like Vermouth. Devils who had become nearly human, like Ai. Devils that used to once be humans, like those two. But in all of his years, the one thing that he had never heard of was-

"Half devil? You?" Shinichi asked, aware that his doubt was clear in his voice. "Forgive me, Hattori, but I've never heard of anything like that before. You're saying that one of your parents is...?"

"I can assure ya that I'm not lyin', Kudo, though I don't blame ya fer thinkin' so. If there's someone else like me out there, then I've never heard of 'em before- an' devils tend ta be a chatty lot when it comes ta those who they think have betrayed them." Heiji said, once more shrugging his shoulders. "It's my mom, in case ya were wonderin', though I think ya could figure that much out on yer own. I'm human on my old man's side, though."

That was probably for the best, Shinichi couldn't help but think- if word broke that the chief of Osaka's police force was a devil, he shuddered to imagine the fallout. The idea that he was married to one, and that furthermore, that his son carried half such blood in him would probably be enough already to cause a scandal that would shake Japan to it's foundations. There was no way that the guild would remain silent on something like that, if they ever found out about it.

Somehow he didn't think that they would have as favorable a view towards Heiji as he did.

No wonder Heiji hadn't wanted to tell him. If he had just been a human that had been infected with a devil's blood, then he could have applied for certain protections. Even the guild, as close minded as it could be sometimes, wasn't heartless when it came to such things. But if he had been that way from the very start, it was a different matter entirely.

"I'll admit, this is the first time I've ever heard of such a thing." Shinichi told him. "But I believe you, Hattori. I don't think there's any benefit here for you to continue to lie at this point. Besides," as his lips curled into a somewhat teasing grin, he watched as Heiji's own turned into a frown, "...from what I understand from Kazuha-san, you're not very good at it anyways."

"Yeah, yeah, mock a guy's faults, why don't ya?" Heiji asked, letting out an exasperated sigh. Rising to his feet, he tilted his head a bit, casting a cursory look towards Shinichi. So far, things were going fine, but he hadn't yet heard the most important thing from him. "Well? Ya still wanna work with me, even knowin' that? I might turn on ya, ya know. That sort of thing is in my blood."

"I doubt it." If the firm belief in his words wasn't enough to convince Heiji, then the snort that he punctuated them with was. He really was the type to show everything on his face. "You made your intentions clear from the very first time we met. I don't think you're the type to go back on his word, at least, not without good reason. I trust you, Hattori."

Though he had suspected he would say that much, now that it was actually in the open, Heiji found that he wasn't quite sure how to actually respond to it. He wasn't normally the type to be at a loss for words, and yet that's where he found himself- it had been _years_ since he had trusted anyone with his secret, and the last time it had happened, it had been by pure accident.

"I..." Heiji began, opening his mouth, before quickly shutting it again. "...thanks, Kudo. That means a lot ta me."

"There's no need to thank me." Shinichi told him, giving the younger detective a smile. "As a former high school detective, I have to look out for the younger generation, especially when they're as incident prone as Kazuha-san makes you sound. Still, I have to say, you really picked out a future career for yourself that's going to make things rather difficult for you."

Rolling his eyes, Heiji moved away from the desk, scratching the back of his head. "Trust me, I'm aware. If it's not Kazuha, then it's my _mom_ lecturin' me about it." Pausing for a moment, he narrowed his eyes, fixing them back on Shinichi. "Ya probably should keep what I told ya about my mom ta yerself too, Kudo. She keeps a low profile, but if people found out about her..."

"I understand." Shinichi said, nodding his head, watching as Heiji's shoulders slumped in relief. It was impossible to speak of his own secret without exposing that of his mother's. Still, he had to admit, he'd rather like to meet her at some point- he'd heard of devils that had fallen in love with humans before, but in most cases, it wasn't a romantic sort of love- and none ever had gone so far as to create a living testament of it, at least, not in so far as he knew.

"But you know, Hattori, you're not exactly alone." Shinichi continued. As he expected, at his words, a rather incredulous look crossed Heiji's face at his words- and now it was _his_ turn to cut him off. "Well, granted, you're the only half-devil I've ever heard of myself. But there _are_ others, you know. Other devils that aren't like the rest."

"Really?" Unable to keep the skeptical note out of his voice, Heiji folded his arms in front of his chest, arching a brow. "Sorry, but I find that kinda hard ta believe, Kudo. My mother aside, I've never met any devils that ya could call a decent sort of folk."

"I can assure you, they exist." Shinichi told him, his smile growing. "After all, there's one living right next door."

"... _hah_?"

* * *

Hattori.

Now she remembered where she had heard that name before.

"I've said it before, and I've said it again, Kudo-kun." Ai began, arching a brow as she carefully studied the young man who she had just been introduced to. She had heard rumors, of course- that a devil had partnered with a human, and had furthermore, given birth to a child with him. She'd never expected to actually meet the child in question, though- who would have thought that he would turn out to be a high school detective? "You know some rather interesting people."

No wonder that he didn't want her to meet him before this- she doubted that Heiji had approached him with this true nature so casually. Given the way she had been introduced to him, it must have only just come out.

"Aren't you included in that?" Shinichi simply asked, casting a glance back towards Heiji, unable to keep the smile off of his face as he took note of the teenager's rather befuddled expression. "See? I told you, didn't I, Hattori?"

It was worth getting up bright and early, if just to see that kind of expression on the younger detective's face. He'd been badgering him about letting him meet the so-called devil living next door since last night, but seeing as they both needed their rest, he had called it a night, instead leaving Heiji to sulk on his words. They would be coming over here first thing anyways, in order to deal with the matter of Takabe Daichi's questioning, so the two of them would inevitably meet then.

Aside from Ai, he had called someone else here as well- and that someone else was someone that he very much wanted to introduce to Heiji.

"You did, but..." Trailing off a little, Heiji could only continue to stare at the young girl that he had been introduced to as Haibara Ai. Briefly recalling that he had heard the name Haibara before, back when Shinichi had answered that phone call that lead him to parting ways with him temporarily, he realized why it was that he had done that now. "...I guess I kind of expected her ta be older?"

"I might not look like it, but I've lived for over four hundred years, Hattori-kun." Ai said simply, placing her hands on her hips. "If I look this way now, it's only because I had a bit of a mishap a few years back. Not unlike Kudo-kun here himself."

"Mishap?" Heiji asked, tilting his head, his gaze flickering towards Shinichi. Judging from the way that he flinched at the very mention of it, it must have been something rather interesting indeed. Unable to help himself, a mischievous grin crossed his face. "Ya wanna share what this _mishap_ of yers was about, Kudo? I thought ya said that there shouldn't be any secrets between the two of us."

Clearing his throat, Shinichi quickly decided to change the topic. "It's nothing important. Honestly, I'm not even sure why Haibara bothered bringing it up. What _is_ important, however, is seeing what information we can glean from Takabe-san."

"Ya realize I can just ask this little Neechan all about it later, right?" Heiji asked, turning his attention towards her. He still wasn't quite sure what to make of her, this young-looking devil that wasn't quite a devil any longer, who was supposedly quite a bit older than him. "But I guess yer right. That's more important right now."

"I thought we were waiting for Hondou-san." Ai noted. "As I've said before, I don't have that much magic left in me, and it's quite obvious that your new companion has none at all. If you're going to contain something like that, you're going to need a bit of help in doing it."

"Hondou?" Heiji asked, his eyes sharply narrowing. "Oi, Kudo, don't tell me that ya called that other exorcist out here."

"Not at all." Grateful that Heiji had seemingly forgotten the subject of his mishap, Shinichi shook his head. "I called his older sister here."

"Same thing, right?" Heiji asked, quirking a brow. "It might not be passed down in the blood like it is with priestesses, but exorcism tends ta be a family business."

"Usually, yes." Shinichi remarked. "But in Hidemi-san's case, it's a bit different."

"Well, I'm sure you'll realize it when you meet her, Hattori-kun." Ai noted. "It was their way of doing things, after all. There were quite a few members there just like her."

"Hah? What's that supposed ta mean?" Heiji asked, glancing between the two. "I'm gettin' the feelin' here that there's still somethin' that ya haven't told me here, Kudo. Is this some kind of weird revenge fer lyin' ta ya before?"

"I promise you, that's not it." Shinichi told him. "Before she ended up like this, Haibara used to be a part of that Organization. Well, as you can see, she's reformed her ways since then."

"Eh? This little Neechan was?" Heiji asked, blinking rapidly, once more turning to look down towards her. No matter how he looked at her, she looked exactly like your normal junior high school student. It was true that she gave off a trace aura that hinted towards her true nature, but it was something that he could barely even pick up on. "So what, she betrayed them, or something like that?"

"That's right." Ai said simply, a trace of a smirk crossing her face. "What? Do you find it hard to believe? Well, given your circumstances, I can't blame you for having a negative opinion towards devils. I imagine that they haven't taken kindly to you, Hattori-kun."

"That's puttin' it lightly." Heiji mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "An'? What about this Hidemi person? Ya say that she's that Hondou guy's older sister, but from the sound of it, yer actin' like she used ta belong ta that same Organization. I know that they used humans fer some things here an' there, but somethin' tells me that's not what yer talkin' about here."

"She went undercover, for a certain Company." Shinichi told him, watching as a look of understanding dawned across his face. "Originally, her role was just to introduce someone else to them, and then to disappear, but things didn't quite work out that way, and she ended up in too deep with them. Because of that, her blood tainted somewhere along the line. Thankfully, she was able to withstand it, and remain herself."

"Tainted?" Heiji frowned- it was a concept that he had heard of before. "I have heard of things like that happenin' before, but I've never met someone like that myself. It's not an easy thing though, keepin' yer mind, from what I hear tell. I'm amazed that she managed ta do it."

"There's one more beside her, but well," Casting a glance down towards Ai, Shinichi couldn't help but flinch at the sharp gaze she turned in his direction, at the mere _mention_ of the man, "...Haibara doesn't get along with him very well, so I thought it would be for the best not to invite him."

"I see. Yer right before, ya really _do_ know some interesting people, Kudo." Heiji noted, flashing him a broad grin. He'd be lying if he tried to claim that even now, he couldn't help but be somewhat nervous about having what he kept secret out in the open yet. But at the same time, it almost felt as if a huge burden had been lifted off of his shoulders.

He hadn't been able to trust anyone with his secret for years, not since Otaki had found out about it by accident. To have someone who had only come into his life recently embrace it as if it were no big deal, and to have that someone be a person that he had idolized when he was younger on top of that... frankly, it felt good.

It wasn't as if he felt uncomfortable in his own skin- far from it, really. Any discomfort he experienced was the result of him being far too keenly aware as to how the world at large would view him, and not because of what he was in and of itself. Even so, it helped. And Shinichi was right- it would make the two of them working together that much easier.

He was still pretty sure he'd never hear the end of it from his mother if he told her about it, so he decided that it was prudent that he avoid that.

"Right?" Giving him a smile, Shinichi blinked, catching the sound of the doorbell ringing. Right on time- as expected as a former member of the CIA. "That must be Hidemi-san now. Wait here, Hattori, Haibara. I'll be right back with her."


	12. Interview With a Devil

**AN** : It's been awhile since I last updated this one, huh? That wasn't on purpose, at the very least, I can promise you all that. Various things happened, various things... namely getting very distracted and being unable to focus on my usual update cycle, which happens sometimes. But it's finally here, and with this chapter, we're moving on to the next arc of the story! And it seems like we might be changing locations as well...? Only time, and of course, the chapter, will tell!

As always, thank you for reading! Please leave a review if you can!

* * *

 **Devils Bleed Black**

 **Chapter Twelve**

 **Interview With a Devil**

* * *

There were two things about the woman that he had been introduced to that Heiji realized at once. The first was that she was a devil, which would have been alarming- were it not for the second thing that he realized- that she hadn't always been that way. Of course, he had been told that much already, but he hadn't expected to be able to sense that much. Maybe it was simply because the atmosphere around her was different- unlike his own, or even that of his mother's.

Actually, come to think of it, there were actually _three_ things he realized about her. As for the third...

"Oi, isn't that Mizunashi Rena?"

"I'm amazed that you know that name, Hattori." Though a bit surprised, Shinichi did still nod his head in confirmation. "But you're right. She did use that alias once, in the past. But it's already been five years since then."

"Of course I would know her!" Heiji declared. "There was a huge stink raised when she disappeared one day! Yer sayin' that she used ta be involved with _that_ bunch? An' what's more, that she used ta be a double agent?"

"That's about it." Stepping forward now, the young woman who had come to join them merely gave him a smile. There was curiosity in her gaze, but nothing resembling the malice or disdain that he had come to expect from other devils. "But my real name is Hondou Hidemi. I take it you must be Hattori Heiji-kun, yes?"

"Ah, yeah." Slowly nodding his head, a hand strayed up to the back of his neck, giving it a nervous rub. "I'm Hattori Heiji. I guess Kudo must have already told ya a few things about me, huh?"

"A few, here and there." Hidemi told him, her smile not fading. "Namely that the two of us are a bit similar, in a way. Not exactly the same though, from the sound of it."

It was probably for the best to leave out the fact that she had heard rumors of his existence before, back in her time with the Organization. She got the impression that he wouldn't take well to that kind of news. Now that she was no longer a part of it, she hardly heard about things like that any longer, and for the most part, such a thing had slipped from her memory. She never could have imagined that they were actually true, and that she would much less have a chance to meet the person in question.

She hadn't been quite certain what to expect when she'd been informed of his origins, but if anything, he seemed to be rather normal, like any other high school student. If it weren't for the faint aura that she could just barely sense from him, far too faint for any human to pick up, and the faint tug she felt at her blood, she probably wouldn't have noticed anything strange about him at all.

"Well..." Trailing off a little, half uncertain of what to say, Heiji could only let out a small laugh. "I guess ya could say it's somethin' like that."

Frankly, she wasn't what he was expecting at all- though he didn't know the details, he'd heard that when a human became a devil, it was a rather painful process. It was no wonder then, that so many lost themselves in it, sometimes even shedding their memories of being human with the transformation. So for someone to have survived such a thing with their humanity intact... he would have thought that they would have been, well...

...more tough, perhaps?

Still, in a way, he supposed that impression wasn't totally wrong. Not all toughness came across in the way that one thought it would. Sometimes being kind and nice in and of itself was a certain type of toughness, depending on the circumstances. In that way, it made sense, that she might be able to withstand something as horrific as what she had gone through.

If her little brother was an exorcist, that might have something to do with it too. It was, after all, often a family business. Still, if that were true, then an exorcist becoming a devil... that was quite the thing. From what little he knew about them, he didn't doubt that such a thing would be viewed as a huge failure on their part, even if it was because of circumstances that they couldn't entirely prevent.

All of this was based just on his first impression though, so perhaps there was something more to her yet that he hadn't seen. Perhaps time would tell, but he couldn't help but admit that he found himself rather intrigued by this young woman, as well as the man that had been briefly mentioned.

He'd have to ask Kudo more about him later.

Clearing his throat, drawing their attention back towards him, Shinichi exchanged a brief glance between the two. "Now then, I hope you remember the main reason that I called you here today, Hidemi-san."

"Of course." Hidemi told him, nodding her head. "You wanted my help to ask some questions of a devil, correct? Judging from how few details you gave me over the phone, I'm going to guess that this is part of something big."

"A bit." Shinichi noted, giving her something of a wry grin. He'd already sent Ran out for the day, just in case. If the devil managed to break through the seal, he wasn't sure or not if he could manage to pierce the barrier of his house next door, and he wasn't willing to take that kind of chance. Of course, the Professor was gone for today as well. "I'll fill you in on all of the details a bit later. We might need more of your help in the future. Your brother's too, if you can get it."

"I'll speak with him." Hidemi said. "I'm sure he'll agree. We do owe you quite a bit after all, Kudo-kun."

"Like I said, it's not necessary to think of it that way." Shinichi told her, heaving a slight sigh, already knowing that whatever argument he made, it wouldn't work. "Now then, shall we get to work? Haibara, will you help us? Of course, you as well, Hattori."

"I'm willin', but I'm not sure what it is that ya want me ta help with." Heiji told him, only vaguely taking notice of Ai getting to her feet out of the corner of his eye. "I've got no magic ta help ya with, like that little Neechan said."

"It's alright. The first doesn't require any magic." Shinichi told him. "It's moving furniture."

Blinking for a moment, Heiji glanced around him, a faint smile tracing his lips as he understood what he meant. There was no way they could draw a sealing circle with all this stuff in the way. Not only would drawing it over the furniture make it less effective, but it was also just a big mess.

"Well, in that case, ya can count on me." Rolling up his sleeves, Heiji beamed at him. "If there's one thing ya can rely on me fer, it's physical strength."

* * *

"Physical strength, huh?"

"Like I said, right?" With a bright grin on his face as he finished moving the last chair, Heiji took a seat in it no sooner than he had set it down. "There are some advantages ya know, ta bein' half devil."

"Considering that we finished in half the time it would have taken Haibara and I alone, I suppose I'm grateful." Shinichi noted, quirking a brow. "Exactly how strong are you, Hattori, for reference?"

"Not strong enough ta lift a car, if that's what yer askin'." Heiji told him. "Unless it's one of those tiny compact cars, but I'm pretty sure even that Neechan could lift one of those herself."

"No, I don't think..." Trailing off a little, Shinichi could only purse his lips together, somehow not quite ready to rule that out just yet. "Well, in any case, you and Hidemi-san were a big help. But the main is from here on out. There's a chance that the devil might be able to break the seal, so be careful."

"Oh, I will!" Leaning back in his purloined chair, Heiji crossed one leg over the other. "If Hakuba hadn't shown up when he did, I probably would have been able ta beat the guy myself!"

"Provided that he didn't attempt to use magic, I'm assuming." Taking a seat in the chair next to him, Ai's gaze drifted in his direction. "Though I suppose I shouldn't be one to talk, seeing as I'm more or less in the same boat as you these days, Hattori-kun."

"Some kinda side effect of that body of yers?" Heiji asked, a bit curious. A devil becoming something like a human... he'd never heard of such a thing before. "But if ya've still got some, ya should be able ta manage ta break whatever kind of curse has got ya in that body in the first place, so why don't ya?"

"I can't say that I entirely dislike it, this body." Ai said simply. "Living as a simple human girl is nice, for a change of pace. That is, when Kudo-kun here isn't trying to drag me into various things."

"Sorry for _dragging_ you." Shinichi muttered, shooting her something of a sour look, before focusing his attention elsewhere. "How is the circle going, Hidemi-san? Do you need help?"

"No, I should be alright." Hidemi noted. "I'm a bit out of practice, but I'm good at this sort of thing. You'll need to be the one to give it power though, Kudo-kun, but I'm sure you know that already."

"Yeah." Nodding his head, Shinichi stepped forward. "These types of things have more power the more people work on them, so hopefully it should be enough to contain him. If I knew it's name, it would be better, but unfortunately..."

"That would be for the best." Hidemi noted, stepping back for a moment to study her work. If anything was even slightly off, the circle might only backfire on them. "But I imagine that's not something it gives out that easily. No devil would."

"Well, it be ideal if either you or Haibara recognized it, but I don't imagine it's going to be that easy." Shinichi noted, turning back on his heel. "I don't suppose you have any idea as to what it might be, Hattori."

"Not a chance." Heiji said, shrugging his shoulders. "That's not the kind of thing any devil is gonna tell _me_. Present company excluded, they don't really like me that much."

"I did sort of get that impression." Shinichi noted, frowning a little. Come to think of it, what Vermouth had said back there... is that what she was implying? She surely must have realized it- no wonder Heiji had gotten so angry at her. "Well, I'm counting on you to have my back, Hattori."

"Oh? An' was it that said havin' me around would just cause problems?" Heiji asked, arching a brow, not feeling the need to wipe the grin off of his face. "Seems like ya changed yer mind about that."

"That was when I thought you were human." Shinichi noted, turning back on his heel. "Or a full one, at any rate. I thought you would have preferred me thinking that you can take care of yourself?"

"Well, I can't deny that." Heiji noted, leaning back in his chair, watching the exorcist's back as he approached the circle, setting the amulet that he had sealed the devil inside in the center of it. "But ya don't have ta worry, Kudo. I'll have yer back. I'll even help look after this little Neechan here fer ya!"

"I'm not so weak that I can't protect myself any more." Ai noted, her sharp tone cracking like a whip. "I might not have been quite as powerful as your mother, Hattori-kun, but in my day, I was a rather powerful devil, you know."

Turning back sharply on his heel, Shinichi couldn't help but look surprised at that. Rather, if anything, what surprised him even more was the fact that Heiji himself barely batted an eye at her comment. "You know of Hattori's mother, Haibara?"

"Only through rumors. I've never met her before, if that's what you're asking." Ai said simply, glancing over towards Heiji. "Well, considering that she betrayed her kind, it's no small wonder that she's talked about often. What's more, on top of marrying a human, she went and had a child with one... that's breaking a taboo of the highest order."

"Taboo?" Shinichi asked, glancing between the two of them. "Is that why there aren't any others? Like Hattori, I mean."

"Really, that's pretty much the gist of it." Heiji said, shrugging his shoulders. "My mom never really went into detail about it though. I don't think it's a topic that she cares much fer. If ya wanted ta know more, ya'd have ta ask either her or my old man, an' frankly, I don't really recommend either."

"More importantly, don't we have something more important ta attend ta?" Heiji asked, jerking his head in the direction of the magic circle. "If we wait too long, the other three might be able ta take action against us, if they notice that one of them is missin'. There's a chance that we might be able ta save some of the souls that this bastard spirited away too."

He was definitely changing the subject, but since he also had a point, Shinichi decided to leave it be for the moment. "You're right. Let's hope we can. If they've already been sent somewhere... getting them back might be impossible."

"Let's hope that's not the case." Hidemi spoke up, lightly placing a hand on Shinichi's shoulder as she fell into step by his side. He was a person who did whatever he could to prevent people from dying- and while the people that had their souls stolen were very much still alive, in a sense, they were already long gone.

"Yeah, let's." Nodding his head, Shinichi gave the older woman a grateful smile. Pushing such thoughts to the side, Shinichi drew in a long breath, focusing himself on the task at hand.

"Now then, get ready, you three." Taking a step forward, letting Hidemi's hand slip from his shoulder, Shinichi steeled himself for what was to come. "I'm going to release the seal."

* * *

He already knew that Kudo Shinichi was a skilled exorcist, but actually seeing him in action was something he'd yet to witness. Unable to help himself, Heiji found a low whistle escaping from his lips. There was no doubt that doing something like this was bound to cause one a great deal of strain, and yet, in spite of that, he maintained his calm.

Seriously, he couldn't help but be grateful that this guy wasn't his enemy.

"It seems that you really do keep interesting company after all, exorcist." The devil's booming voice filled the room, enough to send shivers down a weaker man's spine. Though he had lashed out against the seal barrier at first, for the moment, it seemed to have calmed back down. "Is that really alright, with that guild of yours?"

"Who I choose to associate with is my own business." Shinichi said simply. He knew this tactic well- trying to pick away at anything that it might regard as a weakness. He wouldn't allow himself to fall for such a low trick like that, however. "But I can't say the same for you, Takabe-san."

"I had heard that you were an unusual one, and it would seem as if it's true." The devil noted, what almost appeared to be a smug grin forming on it's monstrous face. The cordial tone it had settled on didn't match with it's form at all, but it would appear as if it had no intention of returning back to it's human form. "But if you believe that I'll sell out my comrades to you, you have another thing coming."

"Comrades?" Letting out a snort, Heiji rose to his feet, tucking his hands into his pockets. "Ya said somethin' like that before ta me, but do ya devils really have things like that? I can't really believe that, ya see. S'far as I know, y'all work against each other, more often than not."

"And as I said before, if you would have come with me, you would have understood everything yourself, Hattori-kun." The devil simply noted. "But I must say, you're speaking rather freely of what I assume are last night's events. If that's the case, you are truly one to keep interesting companions indeed, Kudo-san."

"We aren't here to speak about me, Takabe-san." In lieu of the devil's name, that would do for the moment, Shinichi thought. "Or Hattori. As I stated before, we're here to speak of you, and what you know."

Heiji was right though- the loyalty this devil was displaying to the other members of the Foundation was rather strange. He'd seen this sort of thing firsthand before, but in a way, it felt different from that of the loyalty that the Organization members had once shown to their leader.

"It would be in your best interest, really." It was Ai who spoke up this time, only raising her voice enough so that it could just barely carry over to where they had gathered, not bothering to get out of her chair. "There are ways of making you talk, after all. Kudo-kun isn't so kind that he won't use them if he needs to."

"A rather large threat, and an empty one at that, coming from one who cast away her own nature." It's gaze flickering in Ai's direction, the monster let out something akin to a snort. "But I don't think he would be willing to do such a thing in front of three devils. I've never seen an exorcist this _soft_ before."

"I don't think it's softness." Heiji spoke up, folding his arms in front of his chest. Though he'd tried to mask it, he had flinched at the devil's words, for a moment, the scars left behind on his chest faintly burning. "Well, I guess a devil would think like that, though."

"If Kudo-kun isn't willing to, I will." Hidemi spoke up. That said, she could clearly sense that a devil like this was out of her league- no wonder Shinichi had called her here, to help with creating the circle. His power alone wouldn't have been enough to contain it, and even if it were, there was a chance he might exhaust himself before he had the chance to seal it away again.

If they let something like this run amok again...

"After all, there are human souls on the line here. We can't just allow such a thing to go on as it has been." Hidemi finished, her eyes narrowing. "If you won't tell us about your comrades, perhaps you'll be willing to tell us what your intentions were with them?"

Shinichi hadn't given her all the details yet, but he'd told her that much. Even if he hadn't, she had already been aware that there almost seemed to be something akin to an epidemic starting in Tokyo. Though for the most part, the media was being prevented from reporting on it in order to prevent a potential panic, she'd heard about it through one of her old contacts.

To think that something like this was happening again... she could only hope that this time, there weren't any souls that were as unlucky as herself. She wasn't like _him_ , after all, taking the transformation in stride, as much as she had learned to live with it. To begin with, there was something clearly wrong with that man's nature... or rather, there was something about that man's nature that had _changed_ , after the fact.

It had nothing to do with the black blood rushing through his veins, she knew that much.

"If you're hoping to claim them back, then I'm afraid I must tell you it's already too late." Once again, the devil's tone didn't match- but this time it was with his own words, rather than just his face. The amusement that laced them made it clear that he wasn't sorry at all. "There's no way out of this that will allow you to save everyone, if that's what you're searching for."

That, Shinichi did feel himself bristle at- at the moment he did, the devil sensed it. Once calm, it writhed against it's bonds, forcing him to grit his teeth and grind in his heels, recomposing himself. He wasn't going to let it manipulate him, and there no way he was going to let it escape.

Sensing this, Hidemi drew in a long breath. If she let it go on like this, it was possible that the devil might be able to break the barrier- and it didn't appear that the civil way was going to do any good. While he was capable of it, the devil was right- there was no way that Shinichi would ever decide to use a method like that, not given the present company.

Perhaps even without it. In some ways, it wasn't wrong. There was a softness to him, though not one that she truly thought was a weakness, much as it might be perceived as one by those who hoped to exploit it. If they really thought that they would ever succeeded with it, then they had another thing coming, though.

Kindness and naivety were not things that went hand in hand.

"Then, if mere words won't get you to talk, then as mentioned before, it seems we'll have to resort to other methods." Hidemi said simply. Hardening her heart was a skill she never wanted to have, but it had been one that she'd been forced to develop, nevertheless. If she could put it to good use, then perhaps some of the sins that she had committed in the past could be washed away with it.

Sensing that she was serious, Shinichi drew in a long breath. He didn't want to admit that the devil was right in the slightest, but he wasn't going to be so stubborn about it to the point that it might harm others. He'd promised Kazuha, after all, that he wouldn't do anything to harm Heiji. Even if he didn't say it out loud, it was clear that he was carrying more than just physical scars from his past altercation with exorcists.

"In that case, Haibara, Hattori," Shinichi began, keeping his gaze fixed straight ahead, "...the two of you should wait outside until we're finished here."

"Wait outside?" Blinking a little, Heiji could only bristle at the comment. This was an important moment, was he telling him to miss it? "I don't need ta-!"

"You heard him." He didn't know when it was that she had gotten so close to him, nor how it was that she managed to still have such strength in spite of her slender, mostly human body, but Haibara Ai's grip on his arm didn't seem like something he could argue with. "It's not a pleasant sight."

"But-" Heiji began, feeling the not-human tug at his arm again, this time catching a glimpse of the expression on her face. That alone was enough to make him cut himself short, swallowing back any protests that he might have. "...fine."

He still didn't like it, though.

He didn't like the idea of watching something like that either, but he also didn't want to seem so weak that he would need to run away from it. He wasn't an idiot either- it hadn't been said for Ai's benefit at all, those words, but for his alone. He had thought that maybe now that he knew the truth, he would be treated as something more akin to an equal, someone who could stand up to danger with him, rather than needing to be protected _from_ it, but it seemed as if he was still being babied.

He didn't like it.

* * *

"Pacing around like that isn't going to do you any good. It's annoying just watching you."

Pivoting on his heel, Heiji narrowed his eyes, a deep glower set in them. "Well _sorry_ , if I'm a little bit annoyed about bein' kicked out of part of the investigation I brought ta him in the first place!"

Maybe this little Neechan was really a devil after all, since it seemed she knew just what to say to annoy people. On top of that, saying it with such a disinterested tone of voice... didn't she care at all?

"From the sound of it, Kudo-kun was going to look into it whether or not you showed up at his office." Ai merely noted, letting out a short sigh. She really didn't feel like dealing with some youngster's temper tantrum today. She had been busy consoling Ayumi all week about her tennis club upperclassman, and frankly, she didn't have the patience right now to lend any kind of emotional support to anyone else.

Least of all a temperamental brat. She didn't even need to ask to know that he didn't even understand one bit as to why it was that Shinichi had sent him out of there, nor did she need to ask the reason why he'd done such a thing in the first place. It had been written plain as day all over him, from the very moment that using more... _persuasive_ methods of questioning had been brought up.

It had been true then, and proved true now- high school detectives were truly a pain. And here she thought she'd never have to deal with another one, now that Shinichi had grown up, in the human sense of the word.

"That's not the point!" Heiji snapped. "The point is that I should be a part of this, not kept out of it! I'll have ya know this sort of thing is goin' on in Osaka as well, so that information is important ta me as well! Besides ta me, this whole thing is-!"

"Personal?" Ai finished for him, enjoying seeing the wind fade from his sails a bit. "Don't give me that sort of expression. It's rather easy to tell what you're thinking, Hattori-kun. I might not be much of one anymore, but I am _still_ technically a devil, after all."

"Then if ya know all that, ya must understand why I'm so frustrated right now." Breaking his gaze from her, Heiji couldn't help but grumble. If it was going to be like this, why had he brought him in the first place? What had happened to watching his back? Did he really think he was so weak that he couldn't stand something like that?

"You've been caught by one before, haven't you?" Ai asked. "An exorcist."

As she thought, he was almost painfully easy to read. The way that his back stiffened at her question was answer enough, to which she found herself letting out another sigh. Really, she'd rather be back in there herself, not babysitting some child. To think that _that_ lineage had ended up like this... it was no wonder other devils resented him.

"What does that have ta do with anythin'?" Heiji asked, forcing himself to look back her way. Really, he didn't want to meet her eyes at all. There was something about a girl who looked no older than a middle school student looking right through you that he didn't care for.

"Everything." Ai said simply, placing her hands on her hips, locking gazes with him. "You don't realize, do you, that Kudo-kun is obviously worried about you."

"He doesn't need ta be." Heiji told her, arching a brow. "I'm not a baby, I can take care of myself."

"From my perspective, there's practically no difference between you and a baby." Ai stated. "If you're really a detective, why don't you put some of that brainpower of yours to work to deduce why it is that Kudo-kun sent you out of there? It's probably not for the reason your gut is telling you."

" _That's_ -!" Heiji opened up his mouth to protest, bristling at what he felt was an insult to his abilities as a detective. Still, even if it was a taunt, he couldn't help but start to dwell on it a bit more, resulting in him closing his mouth again. Kudo was worried about him, she had said, and she'd probably know him better than he did, but still...

"It's not like I was traumatized by it or anythin'!" Heiji told her, once again breaking eye contact. An obvious lie, even without that. "I'm not that weak."

"Trauma has very little to do with whether one is weak or strong." Ai noted. "If you keep clinging to that kind of mentality, sooner or later, it'll devour you whole. It's better to just admit it, so you can begin to move on."

Opening and shutting his mouth once more, for once, Heiji found himself without anything to say to that. Turning on his heel away from her, he put some distance between the two of them. Even that was the case, he still didn't like it- regardless of the reasons, it still felt as if Kudo was treating him like someone weak, who needed to be protected.

He'd spent his whole life being protected, in a sense, and to be honest? He was tired of it.

He didn't resent what he was at all, but sometimes, a world where he didn't need to hide it sounded pretty good.

* * *

"We've got a lead."

To be honest, all he wanted to do right now was to crawl back into bed, and sleep off this wave of exhaustion that had overcome him, but he still hard work to do. As he thought, even with Hidemi's help, today had taken a lot out of him.

"Not much of one, but it is a lead." Shinichi continued, grimacing inwardly a little as his gaze finally fell on Heiji. He didn't imagine he would be happy with him, but he was angrier than he had thought. Still, it was better than letting him see that- but they'd done what they needed to, to get the answers they needed.

In the end, it had been Hidemi who had done most of it- though he knew using that kind of magic in her current body took it's toll on her. She was still inside, recovering, for that very reason. Even though it wasn't a method he liked, in the end, it had gotten them what civil questions never could- some answers.

Even then, the devil didn't say much. The level of loyalty that he displayed towards whoever was behind the Wish Fulfillment Foundation was like nothing he had ever seen before. Part devotion, part respect... and if he didn't know any better, he'd say it was also part fear.

He didn't like it.

Letting out a long sigh, Heiji decided to put aside his issues for the moment. They hard work to do. "What kind of lead?"

"It seems like each of the four heads are tasked with a different assignment." Shinichi told him, his grim expression not fading. It wasn't just the methods used that had etched it into his face, but also what he had been told. "Although all four were tasked with tricking humans, each of them has a different task to complete beyond just that. I couldn't manage to get it out of him what tasks the other three are in charge of, but apparently, his was to collect souls."

"We kinda know that already." Heiji stated, arching a brow.

"We didn't know what they were to be used _for_." Shinichi stated. "An offering of some kind, apparently. As he said, it doesn't seem like there's much we can do for those who have already had theirs taken. At the very least, with the boss' sealing, those who are yet to have theirs taken are probably safe for now."

"I don't suppose ya learned what they're supposed ta be an offerin' fer?" Heiji asked, narrowing his eyes. He didn't like the sound of that.

"No. I would assume it has something to do with their leader, though." Shinichi said, shaking his head. "As for him, he wouldn't tell me a single thing. I did, however, learn a bit one of the other bosses- namely their basic location."

"An'? Where's that?" Heiji asked.

"Well, let's just say it looks like you'll be able to go home for awhile, Hattori."

* * *

"I'm going with you, Shinichi."

He knew from the look in his eyes that there was no arguing with her, but that wasn't about to stop him from doing so anyways. It wasn't as if she couldn't protect herself, but what had driven him to become an exorcist in the first place, that powerful desire to protect this girl and her smile, was something that hadn't changed since back then.

"It might not be safe." Shinichi told her, taking a step forward. "If something were to happen to you..."

"Nothing will." Ran said, her voice resolute. "I'm not the same crybaby I was back then, Shinichi. I'll admit that devils still scare me a little, but it's not like I'm so powerless that I can't protect myself because of it."

"I know that, Ran, but..."

"If you allowed _Hattori-kun_ to work with you, in spite of the danger, do you really think I'm going to let you refuse me now?" Ran asked, casting a rather pointed look in his direction.

"Hattori's-"

"I know that, but you didn't know that then." Ran pointed out, folding her arms in front of her chest. "Besides, I'm worried about him and Kazuha-chan too. They're only _kids_ , Shinichi, like we were once, so I fail to see how having an extra pair of eyes on them could hurt any."

Shinichi had told her, in the end, the truth about Heiji. He'd made a promise to not keep any secrets from her, and it looked as if he was intent on keeping it. At first, she'd been shocked- and then she had been a bit angry, under the impression that he had perhaps told her something like that without Heiji's permission. It was only once he quickly clarified that he had first asked him that she finally allowed the notion to sink into her.

Well, in the end, she was only half human herself. Even if the other half was different, she couldn't help but feel that she had a little bit in common with him. She'd gotten the distinct impression that he had been avoiding her since yesterday night though- and Kazuha as well. She would have to do something about the former soon, but she figured that the latter would sort itself out soon enough on it's own.

"I mean, just look at the trouble that _you_ got yourself into at his age." Ran said. "High school detectives kind have a knack for that sort of thing, it seems."

"You do have a point there, but-" Shinichi began again, before realizing that it was useless after all. "Alright, Ran. If you're going to insist to that extent, I suppose I can't really say no. Just at the very least, promise me you won't take any risks."

"As long as you promise the same, Shinichi." Ran said, her voice firm. "Of the two of us, you tend to be the more prone to taking them."

"...that's fair." A smile working it's way onto his features, Shinichi closed the distance between the two of them, carefully taking her hands. "I promise you then, Ran, I won't take any risks. At least... not if I can help it."

"I get the feeling that's going to be the best that I'm going to get from you." Ran quipped, twining her fingers with those of his own. "But I'll take it. I'll promise you the same then, Shinichi."

"Good." Leaning forward a bit, Shinichi gave her a quick kiss on the lips, almost hating to pull away. He was, however, _exhausted_ , and since they had planned to leave first thing in the morning tomorrow, it was best that he get his rest. "You do know I was planning on trying to stay at Hattori-kun's place though, right?"

"That's fine with me." Ran said. "I'm kind of curious about what his mother is like."

"...you realize she's a devil, right?" Shinichi couldn't help but ask. "Not half, like Hattori."

"She also married a human, and had a child with one. I think it'll be fine." Ran told him, pressing her forehead against his. "Or should I tell Hattori-kun you're saying such things about his mother?"

"No, please don't." Shinichi said quickly. "I'm just worried about your blood, that's all."

"My blood will be fine, Shinichi. I'll make sure it stays exactly where it belongs, inside of me." Ran told him. "Besides, if she raised a child like Hattori-kun, she must be an interesting woman, this Hattori Shizuka."

"Well..." Briefly recalling the loud shout that he had been able to make out from Heiji's phone, when he had called to tell her that he was coming home, and that also he might have possibly, _maybe_ , perhaps, blown his secret, Shinichi could only laugh. "I guess that's one way of putting it."


	13. Home Sweet Home

**AN** : Oh hello, back again with an update of this! Halloween is fast approaching- who else is looking forward to it? Because I sure am! It's a crap shoot as to whether or not we get any trick or treaters this year though. We got some last year after a super long dry spell so here's hoping!

As always, thanks for reading, and leave a review if you could be so kind! Until next time!

* * *

 **Devils Bleed Black**

 **Chapter Thirteen**

 **Home Sweet Home**

* * *

"...on second thought, Kudo, why don't we try leavin' the station from the other way?"

There was no need for a detective to decipher what Heiji's sudden change of opinion was about, not with that panicked expression on his face. Even without Kazuha grabbing him by the arm, giving him a firm glower, he could pretty much figure out that he'd spotted someone that he didn't want to see right now.

"Your mother's waiting for us, isn't she?" Shinichi asked, trying to pick out where exactly she was in the crowded station. He'd never seen her before, so he no idea what she looked like- and Heiji hadn't shown him any pictures either. He couldn't see anyone that fit the bill- but it was possible that Heiji was capable of sensing his own mother far better than he would be.

"She sure is." Kazuha chimed in, heaving a long sigh. "Geez, ya were the one who was actin' all confident yesterday. Don't try an' back out of it now, Heiji!"

"But, Kazuha-!" Heiji protested, before heaving a long sigh, his shoulders slumping. "Fine, fine, I get it. At least maybe with three other people around, she might not try an' skin me alive."

That last part Shinichi determined was something he'd meant to say much quieter than he actually had- and briefly, he had to wonder just how scary this Hattori Shizuka was. Someone that was married to Hattori Heizo, and a devil on top of that... maybe bringing Ran here with him hadn't really been the best idea?

She, at least, didn't look that perturbed.

"I'm sure it'll be fine, Hattori-kun." Ran reassured him, giving him a smile. "We even brought presents with us. You said your mother would like them, right?"

"Yeah." Glancing over towards Ran, Heiji gave her an awkward grin. "She loves that brand of chocolates."

"Ya don't have ta be that worried." Kazuha chimed in. "Auntie Shizuka's really nice! It's just that a _certain someone_ here thought the best way ta tell her he'd blown his secret to an exorcist was ta send her a mail, an' then switch off his phone till now."

"...no wonder she's mad, then." Shinichi muttered, arching a brow. "Though I'm a bit embarrassed to admit, I'm having a tough time finding in her in the crowd. She must be quite good at concealing her aura."

"Yeah, she's an expert at that." Heiji muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, before seemingly resolving himself to his fate. "Might as well get it over with. Come on, I'll introduce ya."

Waving a hand, Heiji shrugged off Kazuha's arm, and walked somewhat stiffly ahead. Exchanging a glance with Ran, Shinichi fell into step behind him, adjusting the strap on his luggage. In truth, he was a bit nervous about meeting the woman himself- he had no idea at all what to expect from her.

A devil who had fallen in love with a human, and had committed a taboo by having a child with him- that was about all he knew about Heiji's mother at this point. Aside from her favorite brand of chocolates, that was.

"Ah, Auntie Shizuka!" Kazuha was the one who called out first, waving a hand, the bright smile on her face the total opposite of Heiji's _does not want to be here_ expression. "Over here, over here!"

Now that they were a bit closer, he could finally pick up on what he assumed Heiji had- the faint trace of devil's aura. Just as he said, she was quite good at concealing it- but there was also the added fact that out of the crowd, the composed traditional looking woman would have probably been one of his last picks for being a devil.

Or for being Heiji's _mother_ , for that matter. He guessed the skin color must have come from his father's side of the family.

"Oh, Kazuha-chan." For all the world, she looked quite pleased to see all of them- before her gaze fell on Heiji, and Shinichi could make out what he knew to be a _we're going to talk after this_ type of expression in her eyes. Judging from the way Heiji flinched, it would seem that the message had been well delivered.

"Y-ya didn't need ta come out all this way just ta pick us up, mom." Heiji spoke, doing his damnedest to look anywhere other than in his mother's direction. "It's not like I don't know the way home or anythin' like that."

"No, no, not when you're bringing such important guests over, Heiji." As expected of a devil, Shinichi found himself thinking in spite of himself- she gave no hints as to what she was really thinking. He could more or less make a few guesses, though. "I knew that I had to come here and greet them personally myself."

"Ya could have just done that at-!"

He didn't get to finish that sentence, cut off by his mother's calm gaze. Shinichi got chills just looking at it, even though it wasn't directed at him at all.

"Now then," finally turning to actually address him, Hattori Shizuka gave them a polite bow, that cold aura having seemingly vanished, "...I am Heiji's mother, Hattori Shizuka. I must thank you so much for looking after my son for the last few days, Kudo-san."

"Ah, no." Shinichi said, shaking his head. "It was no trouble at all, really. Your son is quite clever."

"He is that." Shizuka noted, for a moment, almost seeming to glow at the praise. "Though sometimes he can overestimate his own abilities."

"Ah..." Trailing off, it wasn't hard to guess what she was trying to get at. "Still, he's been of great help during out investigation. You must be quite proud of him."

"That I am." Shizuka freely admitted, before turning her gaze on Ran. He could feel her stiffen slightly by his side, something which he could tell that the woman had noticed, but otherwise acted as if she hadn't. "You must be his wife. Kudo Ran, was it? Kazuha-chan has talked about you before, so I remember."

"Ah yes, that's me." Nodding her head, Ran gave her somewhat of a nervous smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Shizuka-san. Ah," reaching into her purse, she quickly produced the box of chocolates, holding it out towards her, "...these are a gift, in thanks for allowing us to stay at your residence!"

"Oh, chocolates, is it?" Shizuka noted, accepting them from her with a smile. "Thank you very much. I will gratefully accept them, then. I hope the trip here was no trouble."

"No, no trouble at all." Ran said, shaking her head, seeming to grow a bit more at ease. "I only just hope we're not imposing."

"Not at all." Shizuka told her, shaking her head. "Though I do wish that Heiji had given me a little bit more notice that we would be having guests over. I didn't have nearly enough time to properly clean the house, so I must apologize in advance for that."

"I told ya yesterday, didn't I?" Heiji asked.

"Yes, you did." Shizuka noted. "In a text message, in the middle of the night."

"...w-well, it's fine, ain't it?" Averting his eyes from his mother again, Heiji tried not to sink under her gaze. "It's not like ya let the place get that dirty ta begin with anyways."

"Then, Auntie Shizuka," Kazuha chimed in, pushing Heiji a bit forward, "...why don't we head back? I'm sure Ran-chan an' Kudo-kun would like ta put their luggage down, an' there's all kinds of things that I'd like ta show Ran-chan while she's here in Osaka!"

"Ah, you're right." Nodding her head, Shizuka gave them another polite smile. "Then, allow me to guide the way. I do hope you enjoy your stay here, in spite of the circumstances that brought you to our city."

"Don't worry, I'm sure we will." Shinichi reassured her, not missing the barbed undercurrent of her words. He got the feeling that she would be watching him very closely, likely in order to determine what his true intentions towards her son were. He'd expected it, but this might actually be a bit harder than he had thought it would be.

Though, in that sense, there was almost no difference between her and a normal mother. His would probably do the same, just far more brazenly.

Speaking of his own mother... well, it would probably be for the best that he kept this information from her. He trusted her, but the guild had ears, and the less this information was spread around, the better.

He didn't want to give his mother an _actual_ reason to resent him.

* * *

The first thing that struck him was that the Hattori residence was much larger than he'd thought it would be.

The second thing he noticed was that the entire place- not only just the house, but the grounds as well- were covered by a powerful barrier. It was one that both Heiji and his mother passed through with ease, but crackled a little as he stepped through, as if the person who had cast it did not entirely want to allow him entrance into their domain.

Was this the product of Shizuka's power? Haibara had mentioned something about her being a powerful devil, and he couldn't help but regret not asking her for more details. One thing was clear- being able to make a barrier this strong, that Hattori Shizuka was no ordinary devil.

"You noticed it, didn't you?" Shizuka asked, and Shinichi started, realizing she was addressing him. "I'm sure you must understand why we can't have just anyone enter our home, Kudo-san."

"Ah, yes, of course." Shinichi said, nodding his head. Now that he was inside, he could sense faint traces of a second barrier in place- the kind that would turn even the most straightforward of houses into a confusing labyrinth. If he wasn't careful, he might get caught up in it, and wind up wandering the halls forever.

"Don't worry." Shizuka told him, a smile that bespoke of a warning on her face. "It shouldn't trouble you or your wife during your stay. You are our guests, after all."

Reading between the lines, Shinichi gathered that this was subject to change- namely, if he proved himself to be someone who was a danger to her son. She was truly protective of him, he thought, though given the report that he had read, he couldn't say that he didn't understand.

She might have married a human, and she might live alongside them, but to Shizuka, exorcists were very much still the enemy.

"Ya don't need ta scare him like that, mom." Heiji spoke up. "Kudo's fine."

"If you say so, Heiji." Shizuka said simply, her gaze lingering on him for a moment longer. "Speaking of which, I'd like to speak to you. In private."

"...I'm in trouble, aren't I?" Heiji asked.

"Very much so." Shizuka told him frankly.

Letting out a long sigh, Heiji's shoulders slumped. "I thought so. Sorry, Kudo. Looks like it's gonna take awhile before we can head out ta look into the case. Ya can get started without me if ya wanna."

"It's fine, Hattori." Shinichi told him. "I need to put my luggage away anyways, so take your time."

"Then do ya want me ta show 'em ta their room, Auntie Shizuka?" Kazuha asked. "Will the usual guest room be fine?"

"Yes, that would be lovely, Kazuha-chan." With a soft smile, Shizuka reached out to lightly pet the girl's head. "Thank you."

"No, no, don't worry about it!" Kazuha told her, before glancing behind her. "I'll lead the way. It's pretty easy ta get lost in this place if yer not careful, so remember the way I lead ya!"

"You heard her, Ran." Shinichi remarked, glancing down at his wife.

"Yes, yes, I know full well that my sense of direction leaves much to be desired, Shinichi, you don't have to remind me." Ran replied, shooting her husband something of a dirty look. "Lead the way, Kazuha-chan."

"Okay." Nodding her head, Kazuha spared her friend a sympathetic glance. "Then, I'll see ya later, Heiji. I'll take Ran-chan around sightseein' after this, so the two of ya can investigate ta yer heart's content."

"Got it." Nodding his head, Heiji watched her head down the hallway, married couple in tow, with a faint smile. It was only once they were out of sight that he felt a chill run down the length of his spine, and he slowly turned on his heel to face his mother.

...as he thought, she was _super angry_ at him.

"...I take it the old man isn't in?" Heiji slowly asked, a bead of cold sweat trickling down the back of his neck.

"He's at work." Shizuka told him, her tone stern. "He won't be back until the evening. Though I'm quite sure he has things that wants to speak with you about as well, Heiji."

"...I guess he would." Rubbing the back of his neck, Heiji felt his shoulders slump. "Look mom, I'm sorry. I know I promised ya that I would keep it all under wraps, but things happened, an'-"

"Things happened?" Shizuka asked, before letting out a short sigh. Turning on her heel, she didn't even have to ask him to follow her- she knew that he would fall into step behind her. "You made a promise."

"Ya should know I'm bad at keepin' 'em." Heiji half tried to joke. "Besides, Kudo's-"

"...different?" Shizuka finished for him. "Yes, I can see that much. However," coming to a halt in what seemed to be nothing more than an empty stretch of hallway, she rapped her knuckles against the wall, the outline of a door that hadn't been there before appearing as a response, "...an exorcist is still an exorcist."

"Kazuha an' her mother are priestesses." Heiji pointed out, even as he followed behind his mother, the door through which they entered vanishing behind them as it closed. "What makes them okay, but Kudo not?"

"I've known Toyama-san forever." Shizuka told him firmly. "As has your father. I know nothing about this Kudo Shinichi."

"Ya should give him a chance." Heiji told her. "He doesn't treat me any different, now that he knows. Neechan- _his wife_ \- too."

Letting out a long breath, Shizuka allowed her human guise to slip away, feeling comfortable doing so only now that she was out of the exorcist's reach. In truth, she had half a mind to ask that he find other accommodations, but as much as she didn't like the idea, she still more or less believed in her son's judgement of character.

Which wasn't to say that he couldn't be tricked. Half of his blood was human, after all- a race who to her still somewhat seemed as if they were made to be deceived.

By devils and fellow humans alike.

"I'll be the one to determine that." Shizuka told him, her tone brokering no arguments. "Has he seen you?"

Sensing what she meant, Heiji let out a short sigh, golden eyes taking the place of blue, a faint rustle of clothing as his tail slipped out. "Yeah, he has. My blood too."

"How are your wounds, incidentally?" Shizuka asked, taking a step forward. Without being asked, Heiji lifted up his arm, allowing his mother to pull up the sleeve of his shirt. Carefully unwinding the bandages, her lips pursed together as she saw that his skin was still scarred from the exorcist's chains.

He healed faster than humans, but not fast or _well_ enough for her taste. A devil shouldn't scar as he did.

"It's no big deal." Heiji reassured her, a quick grin on his face. "It only just grazed me. He didn't see my face either."

"Will he be involving himself in this investigation further?" Shizuka asked, carefully twining his bandages back in place. "This Hakuba Saguru?"

"Probably." Heiji told her. "Kudo said he'll try an' limit contact with him as much as possible, but since he already knows that I'm lookin' into the case, an' that Kudo's workin' with a devil on it, that might only make things more suspicious. I'll try an' avoid him, though."

"Good." Shizuka said, giving a firm nod of her head. "I don't care for him."

"Because of his blood?" Heiji asked.

"No, because of his attitude." Shizuka said simply, tugging back down her son's sleeve, giving his shoulder a soft pat. "You don't have to worry about that woman, if that's what you're saying, Heiji. Unlike some devils, I happen to understand the meaning of self control."

Though she had to be honest- the woman's blood was rather pleasing to her. But since Heiji and Kazuha alike seemed so fond of her, she really had no interest in bringing any kind of harm to her.

"Besides, she's my guest." Shizuka stated simply, taking a step back. "And I do intend to be a proper hostess."

"Glad ta hear it." Heiji said, the tip of his tail twitching. "The chocolates were my idea, by the way."

"Oh, trying to appease me?" Shizuka asked- and for a moment, Heiji couldn't tell if his mother was joking or not. "I'll trust your judgement for the time being, Heiji, but if I sense that he intends to hurt you, or turn you over to his guild, I won't have any mercy."

There was a long pause there, a silence that hung in the room. He knew full well that if given the chance, his mother would have likely wiped the exorcists that had tried to seal him from the world- in the end, there were simply some differences between humans and devils that could never be gaped.

The only thing that had stopped her from going after them was the fact that consoling him- or trying to- had been her tantamount priority. He'd pushed her away then- and he knew that it was a fact that still stung her, years later.

He still regretted it too.

"...I understand." Heiji said finally. "But I don't think he'll give ya any reason ta worry. He kept that Hakuba from chasin' after me, after all."

"I haven't forgotten." Shizuka said simply. "Please do remember to be careful, Heiji. Not just because of Kudo-san, but because of the devils you're dealing with as well. If they brought up your heritage..."

"I know." The bright smile on his face was somewhat forced, but he kept it up anyways. "I'll be careful. I promise."

"Do you actually intend on _keeping_ this one?" Shizuka asked, skepticism clear in her voice.

"...well, I'll try."

Heaving a short sigh, Shizuka accepted that. Promises, after all, were not exactly a devil's forte.

* * *

"Did you finish talking things over with your mother?"

"Yeah." Nodding his head, Heiji muttered something about creaky floors underneath his breath, before he glanced around the room. "Did Kazuha already leave with Neechan?"

"Just a bit ago." Turning back to look at the high school detective, Shinichi gave him a small smile. "How'd it go?"

"Fine, fine." Waving a hand, clearly not wanting to get into more depth, Heiji entered the room. "So? How's the room?"

"It should do just fine. I'll have to thank your mother again when I get a chance to speak with her next." Shinichi said. "Is she still around?"

"Nah, she left ta get some groceries fer dinner." Heiji told him, shaking his head. "Don't worry, I'm sure she'll stick ta makin' human food while the two of ya are stayin' over."

Judging from the vaguely traumatized look in his eyes, Shinichi felt it was better not to question what he meant by that too much. Instead he nodded his head, taking a moment to grab his wallet. "So? Did you want to head on? I assume you want to try and speak to those girls again."

"Yeah, somethin' like that." Heiji told him. "There's a chance that one of 'em might have remembered somethin' since then. Besides, I kind of want ta check up on their condition."

"Fair enough." He hadn't heard any news coming out of Osaka about people mysteriously collapsing yet, but he could understand the worry. "By the way, I never did ask- what exactly were you doing the first time we met, Hattori?"

"Ah, that?" Heiji asked, rubbing the back of his neck, almost a bit embarrassed about it being brought up after so long. "I thought that if I could force one of those gremlins out of 'em, that I could make it spill. Kazuha an' I thought we had it trapped, but it ended up slippin' away from us, so I gave chase. As fer what happened next, well," shrugging his shoulders, "...ya pretty much already know the answer ta that."

"I guess they wouldn't want to say much to a half devil." Shinichi remarked, before jerking his head up, briefly wondering if he had perhaps offended Heiji with that remark.

And sensing that much, Heiji flashed him a grin. "That's pretty much how it is. I'm pretty much hated."

"That must be rough." Shinichi observed.

"Nah, it's fine." Heiji told him. "I don't particularly _want_ ta be liked by devils."

"What about your family?" Shinichi ventured- and didn't miss the faint way that Heiji flinched at the question. Was there still something that was being kept from him? He wasn't about to press for it, knowing that he'd already uncovered a big secret of his, but he couldn't help but curious.

"My family... my old man's side doesn't know about my mom or me. I mean, they know we _exist_ , but," Heiji told him, averting his eyes. "...they just think we're humans, the both of us. This house belongs ta his family, in case ya were wonderin', though ya might have noticed my mom's made a few _modifications_ here an' there. As fer my mom's... well, I've never met 'em, but she was pretty much cast out of it once she married my old man, so..."

"So that kind of thing happens in the devil world as well." Shinichi observed.

"Yeah." Heiji told him, nodding his head. "So I doubt any of them would want ta meet me, seein' as I'm _taintin_ ' their blood an' all. Taboos, an' all that."

"Anyways," turning on his heel, Heiji shoved his hands into his pockets, "...ya wanna go? The more time we give 'em, the more time that they have ta think up a possible counterattack."

Frowning for a moment, Shinichi wondered if there was something he could say here- before he decided that nothing he could would make much of an impact. He'd rather not risk hurting Heiji by accident, especially not in his own home- even _if_ his mother wasn't around. It probably wasn't easy, being an existence straddling two worlds- especially when neither of them particularly seemed to _want_ you.

"Right, let's go." Shinichi told him. "Since this is your territory and all, Hattori, I hope you don't mind showing me around."

Perking up at that, the smile that Heiji showed him was a cheerful one. "Of course! Ya can rely on me, Kudo! I know this place like the back of my hand."

Good, Shinichi thought to himself, that was a better expression.

* * *

"Ah, Hattori-senpai."

"Yo." Lifting a hand, Heiji flashed a grin. "Sorry ta call ya out here like this. Just needed ta ask ya a few more questions about that incident with yer team."

It was a good thing that he'd kept the phone number of the captain of the volleyball team, the one who had contacted him about this in the first place. Even though he'd heard that the girls in question had all been exorcised- by Kudo, he now realized- it had seemed at the time like it would be a good idea to keep it on hand.

"Again?" The girl blinked. "I don't mind, but that makes you the second one, Hattori-senpai. After... after him, actually." She noted, frowning a little as she took notice of Shinichi. "Do you know each other?"

"Well, somethin' like that." Heiji told her. "So? Ya said over the phone that ya might know somethin' helpful."

"Ah, yes. I remembered it only after you left." Nodding her head, the girl's gaze lingered on Shinichi for a moment longer, before she focused on the topic at hand. "I'm not sure if it will help much, but..."

"Any small detail is fine." Shinichi reassured her. "By the way, how are those four?"

"Ah, yes, they're doing much better now." She said. "Though we ended up being disqualified from this year's nationals."

"Figures." Heiji said with a shrug. Being in a sports club himself, he understood this sort of thing well- though if people found out about what color he bled, getting disqualified from tournaments would be the _least_ of his worries. "So? What was it that ya wanted ta tell me?"

"I don't really know if it will help, but before the four of them started acting strange, they all went to a small shrine." She said, sounding rather uncertain of herself. "I didn't think anything much of it back when I first spoke with either of you, but lately I've been wondering if that has something to do with it."

"A shrine, huh?" Shinichi mused, folding his arms in front of his chest. "It's not completely impossible for a devil to have taken over such a thing, if they're strong enough."

"Or if it's defunct." Heiji noted, almost muttering it half underneath his breath. "So? Do ya know what shrine?"

"No." Shaking her head, she frowned. "I asked, but they don't remember. Only that they vaguely remember hearing about it from somewhere before."

"Maybe on the Internet?" Heiji mused, glancing up at Shinichi. "What do ya think, Kudo?"

"It's possible." Shinichi mused. "If I looked more into the," pausing for a moment, his gaze flickering down towards the girl, he stopped himself from saying the word _guild_ , "...police records, I might be able to find some kind of pattern."

"Didn't ya check last time?" Heiji asked.

"Yes, though not thoroughly." Shinichi admitted, wondering if he had missed what he was actually trying to get at. It didn't matter- he would tell him later, once the girl was out of earshot. "And there's a chance that something else might have happened since last time I checked."

"True." Frowning, Heiji tilted his head. "So? Ya notice anythin' else strange around yer school?"

"No." Shaking her head, the girl frowned. "But since it's summer break and all, aside from clubs, nobody has really been using the school building."

Ah, that was right. He'd kind of forgotten about that. Rubbing the back of his neck, Heiji let out a faint laugh- he was the type to dig his nose into a case heedless of whether or not he had school that day anyways, so it was easy for it to slip from his mind.

"Yer right about that." Heiji admitted. "Then, ya keep that number of mine, an' call me if ya remember anythin' else, or if any of those four do."

"Or if you notice anything else that's strange." Shinichi finished, giving the girl a polite smile.

"Yes, I'll be sure too!" Nodding her head, the girl quickly said her goodbyes, before departing. It was only when they were sure that she was gone, that the two detectives exchanged a look between them.

"So, how are you with shrines, Hattori?" Shinichi asked.

"Aside from the one Kazuha's mom runs, not very good." Heiji confessed, scratching his cheek. "I can enter them, but they make me feel kind of nauseous. But if the shrine's been corrupted, that's a different matter."

"So in other words, we're looking for a shrine that doesn't make you want to barf." Shinichi noted.

"...ya could put it that way, yeah." Arching a brow, Heiji couldn't help but give the older detective an assessing look. "So? Ya want my help with those police records?"

"No need." Shinichi told him. "I was trying to refer to the guild, actually. I just couldn't say as much with her around."

"...oh right." Folding his arms in his chest, Heiji blinked. "I kinda forget that the whole exorcist thing is supposed ta be a secret."

"Please don't forget that." Shinichi told him, letting a faint bit of nervous laughter escape him. "I'd rather not have it getting around."

"Fair enough." Reaching out to take the iced coffee that he had ordered, he drank most of it down in one gulp, before rising to his feet. "Well, in that case, I'll check the police records fer anythin' weird while ya contact that guild of yers. Sorry, Kudo, but I'd rather not come with ya fer that part."

"I didn't think so." Shinichi said, sliding out of the booth, letting him get out of it. "I'll call you when I'm done. Are you sure you'll be fine with your father, though? He's the head of the police, isn't he?"

Freezing for a moment, it became clear to him that Heiji had briefly forgotten that detail. Groaning, he scratched the back of his head, before letting out a long sigh, glancing back at him with a shrug of his shoulders. "Well, might as well get it over an' done with. At least he can't kill me in his office."

"...probably."

* * *

"...old man."

"Heiji." Opening one eye, Hattori Heizo cast an assessing look down on his son. He looked very much like a child who had gotten caught with their hand in the cookie jar at the moment, having frozen the moment that he'd entered the room.

"Did Otaki-han rat me out?" Heiji asked, lips curling into a frown.

"No. Toyama told me." Heizo observed, shutting the door to the records room behind him. "What are you looking into?"

"Cases, what else?" Heiji asked, before sensing that wasn't a good enough answer for his father. "Tryin' ta find anythin' strange."

"And? Have you found anything?" Heizo asked, coming around to the other end of the table, choosing not to take the chair directly across from his son in favor of remaining standing.

"Maybe." Heiji noted, his gaze briefly flickering towards a pair of files on the desk, set aside from the rest. "Not as much as I was hopin' though. Well, I guess Kudo already did go over these same records himself, so..."

Flinching as he realized that he had been the first one to bring him up, Heiji chanced a look up towards his father. "...yer mad at me, aren't ya?"

Not one for beating around the bush, Heizo gave his son the answer he was already expecting to hear. "Yes."

"...thought so." Letting out a long sigh, Heiji leaned back in his chair, attempting to put a cheerful grin on his face. "Any chance I can tell ya that I already talked all this out with mom, an' that ya really don't need ta give me the same talk all over again?"

"No." Heizo said simply, finally pulling out the chair and taking a seat. Looming over his son could prove effective at times, but it wasn't what he wanted to be doing right now. "Do you trust him?"

"I wouldn't have been the one ta suggest workin' together with him if I didn't." Heiji pointed out, arching a brow. "Have some faith in me, old man."

"Mm." Closing his eyes, Heizo let a silence fall between them, all but hearing his son squirm. In the end, Heiji was the one who had been attacked by exorcists- so if he seemed to sincerely believe that this one was different from the rest, then he wasn't about to dispute the issue.

He could be reckless, but he was no fool.

"...ya gonna say somethin' or what?"

"You should leave this case to that exorcist, Heiji." Heizo told him.

"Like hell." It was exactly the response that Heizo had expected, complete with the flash of temper that came with it. His mother had told him the same thing, he knew, but he doubted that he had reacted to her in the same fashion.

He didn't feel the need to prove anything to his mother, after all. Only him.

Him and the rest of the world.

"It's dangerous." Heizo told him, for once, opening both his eyes, looking dead into those of his son's. Blue, from his side of the family. The lashes, he thought, were from Shizuka's. "More dangerous than anything you've ever dealt with before."

"Ya haven't even looked into it." Heiji snorted, leaning back in his chair. "In case ya forget, I'm actually stronger than ya, old man."

"Sometimes it's not about mere strength, Heiji." Heizo reminded him. "And even without looking into it, I have my instincts. Any case that requires you to travel from Osaka to Tokyo and back like this has the workings of something troublesome."

You don't have to prove anything, is what he wanted to say. But in that regard, he was not a very direct man.

Instead, what came out was- "I've allowed your activities as a high school detective to an extent, but you should know your own limits."

"I don't need yer permission. An' don't worry, I don't blame on doin' anythin' that'll let the world know the head of Osaka's police is married ta a devil." Rising to his feet, Heiji gathered up the two file folders that he had set aside. "I'm makin' copies of these. I'm assumin' ya don't have a problem with that, do ya, old man?"

"No." Heizo said simply, watching as Heiji tucked them under his arm before even getting an answer. "And you know that's not what I mean, Heiji. It's not because of shame that I keep you and your mother under wraps."

There was a slight pause there, before Heiji turned away. "Yeah, I know."

"...anyways, I'm not backin' out of this, old man." Sparing him a glance, Heiji narrowed his eyes. "I finish what I start."

With that, he turned on his heel, not waiting for his father to say anything more before he left. Letting out a short sigh, Heizo merely let him, hoping that at least he had pressed how serious what he was dealing with here was.

There was a scenario far worse than Heiji having his blood exposed- and that was the matter of _how_.

* * *

"Oh, Shin-chan! I had started to think that you weren't going to call!"

"Sorry, mom. I've been kind of busy." Tucking the copies of the records that he had been able to get underneath one arm, Shinichi left the Osaka guild branch building.

"With the investigation, right?" Yukiko's voice came out as a pout over the phone. "I see how it is. You only call when you need something from your mother."

"Mom, please." Glancing down at his watch, he wondered if he should go ahead and head for Osaka police headquarters. He hadn't gotten any messages from Heiji yet, but he might very well be wrapping up his own business there too. "I do need to ask you something though."

"Is it about the white horned devil again?" Yukiko asked. "Because I haven't been able to find out much more about it."

"No, it's not that." Shinichi told her, hoping his answer hadn't come too quickly. "I need you to look into some archive data for me. Your clearance level is higher than mine."

"Sure, I don't mind." Yukiko said. "What is it that you need, Shin-chan?"

"Any cases with loose ends coming out of the Osaka prefecture for around... the past few months or so." Shinichi told her. "And if you could send it to me quickly, I'd appreciate it."

"Sure." Yukiko said. "Did you check the branch headquarters?"

"Just leaving from there, actually." Shinichi told her. "So you can skip it if it's available on my clearance level. I already got that information."

"Got it, got it." Yukiko said. "So? Did you find him, that white horned devil of yours?"

"Maybe." Shinichi said. "Sorry, mom. I can't really discuss it with you."

"A secret even from your own mother, huh?" Yukiko asked. "Well, that's fine. Is there anything else that you need? I've been trying to look up information about the devil whose picture you sent me, but I haven't been having any luck so far."

"I figured not, not with just a picture." Shinichi said. "That's all for now, mom. I'll call you if something comes up though."

"Call me more often than that! Your mom's lonely, out here in San Francisco all by herself!" Yukiko pouted. "And your father is being his usual self."

"You're the one who married him." Shinichi noted, before pausing, his phone beeping at him. "Ah, sorry mom. I've got another call. I have let you go."

"Eh? Wait a second, Shin-chan-!"

Hanging up on her before he could get any further, Heiji picked up the other call. "What's up, Hattori?"

"Got two interestin' lookin' case files here." Heiji told him, skipping any form of preamble. "Made copies, since I thought ya'd like ta see 'em."

"Same here." Shinichi told him. "I was just heading to police headquarters."

"Don't bother." There was a sour note to Heiji's voice- from the sound of it, he'd probably talked with his father after all. "Just head ta my place, Kudo."

"Is that fine?" Shinichi asked. "With the barrier and all."

"Should be." Heiji told him. "Mom gave ya permission ta enter, so there shouldn't be a problem."

"So that's how it works." Shinichi muttered, half to himself. "Okay, I'll do that. See you then, Hattori."

Hanging up the phone, Shinichi pocketed it, wondering if Heiji's mother would be back from her shopping trip by the time he got back there. Most likely- which worked out well for him. He'd been meaning to make some time to speak with her in private, and the sooner the better.


End file.
